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AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FUND
REGIONAL INTEGRATION STRATEGY PAPER
FOR WEST AFRICA 2011 – 2015
REGIONAL DEPARTMENTS – WEST (ORWA/ORWB)
REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND TRADE DEPARTMENT (ONRI)
MARCH 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ i
I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1
II. CONTINENTAL INITIATIVES AND AFRICAN AGENDA ........................................ 1
2.1 Regional Progress Towards the African Integration Agenda ...................................... 1
2.2 Other Continental Initiatives Affecting the Region ..................................................... 2
III. REGIONAL CONTEXT AND PROSPECTS .................................................................. 2
3.1 Political, Economic and Social Context ...................................................................... 2
3.2 Regional Strategic Objectives ................................................................................... 11
3.3 Main Challenges and Opportunities .......................................................................... 12
3.4 Current Responses and Initiatives ............................................................................. 13
3.5 Recent Developments in Aid Coordination and Other Interventions ........................ 13
3.6 Bank’s Regional Portfolio in West Africa ................................................................. 14
IV. BANK GROUP STRATEGY FOR THE REGION ...................................................... 14
4.1 Rationale for Bank Group Intervention ..................................................................... 14
4.2 Strategic Pillars, Deliverables and Targets ............................................................... 15
4.3 Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................... 18
4.4 Regional and Country Dialogue Issues ..................................................................... 19
4.5 Potential Risks and Mitigation Measures .................................................................. 19
V. MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY .............................................................................. 20
5.1 Institutional Arrangements ......................................................................................... 20
5.2 Partnerships ................................................................................................................ 20
5.3 Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms ...................................................... 20
VI. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ............................................................... 20
ANNEXES 1. Indicative Results Matrix of the Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa
2. Indicative Program of Regional Operations and Potential Economic and Sector Work for 2011–2015
3. West Africa Macroeconomic Indicators
4. ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Program Convergence Criteria
5. Comparison of Logistics Costs and Export Times (20-ft. container) in Sub-Saharan Africa
6. Environment and Climate Change
7. West Africa Transport Corridors and Examples of Corridors Management Organizations
8. West Africa RISP Two-Step Selection Process for Regional Operations
9. Nigeria: A Growth Pole in West Africa
10. Potential Energy Projects under the RISP
11. List of Bank Group Ongoing Multinational Projects in West Africa
12. Development Partners’ West Africa Regional Integration Interventions Matrix
ii
13. 2011 – 2015 Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa: Outcomes of Consultations with
Regional Stakeholders
14. Intra-ECOWAS Trade
15. 2011 – 2015 Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa: Comments made by CODE at
Meeting of July 5, 2011
GRAPHS
1. Political Context, 2009
2 Real GDP Growth
3. Key Growth Drivers, 2009
4. GDP by Sector
Table A: Doing Business in 2009 and 2010.
BOXES
1. Use of Special Purpose Companies to Strengthen Regional Capacity for Project
Implementation.
This RISP was derived from the analysis and conclusions of background studies and prepared by a team led
by Mr. Issa Koussoube (Lead Economist, ORWB) and Mr. Ferdinand Bakoup (Lead Economist, ORWA);
and from the outcome of consultations with regional stakeholders in West Africa, including the ECOWAS
Commission, the WAEMU Commission, national governments, and non-governmental institutions. The
consultations were carried out during the RISP preparation and dialogue missions, undertaken on
September 15-October 5, 2010, and November 11-12, 2010, respectively.
The team included: Mr. Mohamed H’Midouche, Resident Representative, SNFO; Mr. Jacques Moulot,
Chief Energy Expert, ONRI; Mrs. El Iza Mohamedou, Chief Regional Integration and Trade Officer,
ONRI.2; Mr. Samuel Ijeh, Principal Country Economist, ORWA; Mr. Jian Zhang, Principal
Macroeconomist, ONRI.2; Mr. Gabriel Mougani, Principal Financial Economist, ONRI.2; Mr. Issiaka
Zoungrana, Principal Capacity Building Expert, ONRI; Ms. Alice Nabalamba, Principal Statistician, ESTA;
Mr. Jean-Pierre Mutsinzi, Principal Power Engineer, ONEC.1; F. Soares Da Gama, Senior Country
Economist, ORWB, and a team of consultants. Mrs. Moono Mupotola, Division Manager, ONRI.2,
participated in the dialogue mission.
The RISP report was prepared under the overall guidance of Messrs. Mr. J.K. Litse (Director, ORWA), F.
Perrault (then Director, ORWB), and A. Rugamba (Director, ONRI).
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVATIONS
AAP Africa Action Plan
ABR Africa Business Roundtable
ACBF African Capacity Building Foundation
AfDB African Development Bank
ADF African Development Fund
ADLG Autorité de Développement du Liptako–Gourma
AEC African Economic Community
AfT Aid for Trade
AFRISTAT Observatoire Economique et Statistique d’Afrique Subsaharienne
AGOA Africa Growth and Opportunity Act
ALCO Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Organization
AMF African Monetary Fund
APF African Petroleum Fund
APRM African Peer Review Mechanism
ASF African Solidarity Fund
ASYCUDA Automated System for Customs Data
AU African Union
BCEAO Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l’Ouest
BIDC ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development
BOAD West Africa Regional Development Bank
BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China and, South Africa
BRVM Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (WAEMU’s Regional Stock
Market based in Abidjan)
CAADP Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program
CDP Community Development Program
CEDAW UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against
Women
CEIF Clean Energy Investment Framework
CET Common External Tariff
CILSS Comité Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sècheresse dans le Sahel
CLSG Côte-d’Ivoire, Liberia, Siera-Léone-Guinea
CMO Corridor Management Organization
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CPIA Country Policy and Institutional Assessment
CRMA Climate Risks Management and Adaptation
CSI Core Sector Indicators
CSP Country Strategy Paper
CStP Country Statistical Profile
DFID Department for International Development (UK)
EC European Commission
ECCAS Economic Community of Central African States
ECOWAP ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
ii
ECREEE Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
EPA Economic Partnership Agreement
ETLS External Trade Liberalization Scheme
EU European Union
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
FEWACC Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry
FEWAMA Federation of West African Manufacturers Associations
FODETE Fonds de Développement des Transports et de l’Energie
FTA Free Trade Area
GCI Global Competitiveness Index
GDP Gross Domestic Product
IAIM Inter-African Insurance Market
IAO West Africa Institute for International Research on Regional Integration and
Social Transformation
ICT Information and Communications Technologies
ILO International Labor Organization
INTELCOM Interstate Telecommunications Company
ISRT Interstate Road Transit
ITU International Telecommunications Union
IWRM Integrated Water Resource Management
MCLI Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative
MDG Millennium Development Goals
MTS Medium-Term Strategy
NBA Niger Basin Authority
NCTTA Northern Corridor Transit Transport Authority
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NTB Non-Tariff Barriers
OHADA Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires
OMVG Gambia River Development Organization
OMVS Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal
ONRI Regional Integration and Trade Department, African Development Bank
OPEV Operations Evaluation Department
ORVP Vice Presidency for Country and Regional Programs and Policy
ORWA Operations Regional West A
ORWB Operations Regional West B
PIDA Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa
PCAE Common Policy for Improvement of the Environment
PPP Public-Private Partnership
RASCOM Regional African Satellite Communications Organization
RBOs River Basin Organizations
REC Regional Economic Community
RIS Regional Integration Strategy
RISP Regional Integration Strategy Paper
RO Regional Operations
SADC Southern African Development Community
SAD Single Administrative Document
SCB Statistical Capacity Building Program
iii
SFCD Strategic Framework for Capacity Development
SPC Special Purpose Company
SSA Sub-Saharan Africa
SWARIP Support to West Africa Regional Integration Program
TRIE Transit Routier Inter-Etats
UK United Kingdom
UN United Nations
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
USA United States of America
VAT Tax on Value Added
WAEMU West Africa Economic and Monetary Union
WAEMF West Africa Emerging Market Fund
WAGP West Africa Gas Pipeline
WAMI West Africa Monetary Institute
WAMZ West African Monetary Zone
WAPP West Africa Power Pool
WB World Bank
WEF World Economic Forum
WRCC Water Resources Coordination Centre
WTO World Trade Organization
i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Introduction. This report outlines a Bank Group’s (the Bank) strategy for supporting
regional integration efforts in West Africa over the period 2011-2015.
2. Regional Context. The region’s economic performance reflects improvements in
macroeconomic management. The recent hike in commodity prices (notably oil and minerals) has
also benefited resource-rich West African countries and is fostering higher growth in the region as a
whole. In 2010, the region’s 6.2 percent real GDP growth was the highest among all African RECs.
On the social front, the region is unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goals. This is
especially true for the region’s fragile states and landlocked countries. A contributing factor to the
poor social conditions in West Africa is the high level of unemployment, especially among the
youth considering the fact that they constitute the majority of the population (about two-third).
3. Despite many challenges and regional realities, the progress toward integration that has
already been achieved (Customs Union, free movement of persons, ECOWAS passport,
transformation of the ECOWAS Secretariat into a strengthened ECOWAS Commission)—
combined with the political momentum of the ECOWAS Vision and the region’s rich natural
base—has created the conditions for integration to gain progress.
4. Bank Group Strategy for the Region. The Bank’s strategy for supporting regional
integration in West Africa rests on two pillars, namely (i) linking regional markets and, (ii) building
capacity for effective implementation of the regional integration agenda. This strategy is aligned
with the ECOWAS Vision 2020, the Regional Strategic Plan, and the outcome of consultations with
regional stakeholders:
5. Pillar I will support investments in (i) regional transport infrastructure (missing links in the
Trans-Coastal and Trans-Sahelian highways; rehabilitation of priority road corridors; river
navigation); (ii) transport and trade facilitation measures; and (iii) regional energy production and
markets integration. The Bank will also step up its strategic dialogue on resource mobilization for
the railways transport.
6. Pillar II will strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS/WAEMU, selected regional institutions,
and national entities where necessary, to deliver more effectively the integration agenda. Bank’s
efforts will focus on: (i) capacity building for effective policy and regional projects implementation;
(ii) capacity building for financial sector integration and, (iii) support to regional research and
training centers relevant to the integration agenda.
7. The Bank will also carry out a number of studies aimed at strengthening the knowledge base
on regional integration in West Africa.
8. The proposed strategy will also lead to strengthened prospects for the productive sectors of
West African economies and job creation, which are necessary conditions for further progress on
the integration agenda, and for successful integration into the world economy.
9. The Bank’s Regional Departments for West Africa A and B, together with the Regional
Integration and Trade Department, will jointly be the Bank’s focal points for monitoring
implementation of the RISP, with the active support of the field offices. The on-going
decentralization process will strengthen the Bank’s capacity to monitor implementation of the RISP.
10. Recommendation. The Boards are requested to approve the strategy proposed in this RISP
for West Africa, for the period 2011-2015.
1
I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This report outlines the African
Development Bank Group (Bank) strategic
business model for supporting regional
integration in West Africa, where the
integration efforts of 15 countries1 are being led
by the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS). Overall, although
ECOWAS has adopted protocols and policies
for sustained integration, regional integration
has progressed slowly.
1.2 The goal of this Regional Integration
Strategy Paper 2011-2015 (RISP) is to help
advance the integration agenda and facilitate
regional solutions. It specifically provides the
strategic framework for selecting and
prioritizing Bank’s analytical, operational, and
partnership activities in support of regional
integration in West Africa over the period
2011-2015.
1.3 The timing of this RISP, the first of its
kind to West Africa, coincides with a number
of significant events, which taken together,
point to increased ambitions for regional
integration both in West Africa and in the
Bank’s work. First, in West Africa, the
ECOWAS Secretariat was recently transformed
into the ECOWAS Commission, with a
strengthened mandate to promote integration in
the region. This was followed by the adoption,
in June 2010, of a new Vision 2020: From an
ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of People;
and more recently, a Regional Strategic Plan.
Both seek to give new impetus to the
integration process in the region. Second, in the
Bank, increased emphasis on integration
underlies the recent adoption of the Bank’s
Regional Integration Strategy 2009-2012 (RIS).
It finally reflects an expanded mandate and
resources for regional operations under the
ADF-12 replenishment.
1.4 The RISP is grounded on (i) a number
of commissioned background studies in key
areas of regional integration (Macroeconomics,
1 The countries of the ECOWAS region are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape
Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Eight of the
countries are francophone, 5 are Anglophone and, two are lusophone.
The total population of the region in 2010 was 302.69 million. The region is home to 29.3 percent of the continent’s population.
Transport corridors, ports, Energy,
Transboundary Water Basins Management,
ICT, Trade, and Private Sector Development)2;
and (ii) preparatory and consultation missions
in the region by Bank staff, including the
important dialogue mission of November 12,
2010 in Ouagadougou.3
1.5 In addition to this introduction, the
architecture of this report is as follows: Section
II highlights the main continental integration
initiatives being implemented in ECOWAS.
Section III discusses the institutional, political,
economic, social, and environment issues of
regional integration; and key challenges and
opportunities. Section IV outlines the Bank’s
integration strategy for the region over the
period 2011-2015. Section V discusses
management and delivery issues, including
institutional arrangements, partnerships, and
monitoring and evaluation. Section VI offers
conclusions and recommendations.
II. CONTINENTAL INITIATIVES AND
AFRICAN AGENDA
2.1 Regional Progress Towards the African
Integration Agenda
ECOWAS was created on 28 May 1975
to promote economic cooperation and regional
integration. In coordination with the Africa
Action Plan (AAP) of the African Union (AU),
ECOWAS leads and coordinates
implementation of the New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD) programs in
West Africa, including the Comprehensive
African Agriculture Development Program
(CAADP) and the Program for Infrastructure
Development in Africa (PIDA). PIDA, which
covers cross-border infrastructure investment
needs and policy and other regulatory measures
to accompany these investments up to 2040, is
to be approved by the AU Heads of State
Assembly in January 2012. ECOWAS will be
involved in the PIDA regional consultations in
October 2011.
2 Financed by the Japanese Trust Fund
3 Please refer to Annex 17 for details.
2
2.2 Other Continental Initiatives Affecting
the Region
ECOWAS is also actively involved
in other on-going or future continental
initiatives, including the Regional African
Satellite Communications Organization
(RASCOM); Observa-toire économique et
statistique d’Afrique Subsaharienne
(AFRISTAT); the African Monetary Fund; the
African Solidarity Fund; the African Petroleum
Fund (in the process of being established); and
the Inter-African Insurance Markets
Conference. In collaboration with the NEPAD
Business Group, Africa Business Roundtable
(ABR), and the Bank, the ECOWAS countries
participate in policy dialogues as a means of
improving the business and investment climate
in Africa.
III. REGIONAL CONTEXT AND
PROSPECTS
3.1 Political, Economic, and Social Context
3.1.1 Institutional Arrangements in the Region
3.1.1.1 Duality and Multiplicity of the
Integration Architecture. Institutional
architecture in the West African region is
characterized by the divide between the
Anglophone and Francophone countries, and to
some extent, the Lusophone countries. In 1994,
a sub-group of 8 countries4 formed the West
African Economic and Monetary Union
(WAEMU). All the WAEMU countries, with
the exception of Guinea Bissau, share a
common French heritage in their legal and
administrative systems. In addition, they have
maintained the common currency inherited at
the time of independence, which is the CFA
Franc. They have a common monetary policy,
which is implemented by the common central
bank, the Banque centrale des Etats de
l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO). The French
Treasury guarantees the convertibility of the
common currency. Largely reflecting these
commonalities, the WAEMU countries have
been able to make more progress towards
economic integration than the rest of
ECOWAS. The non-WAEMU countries, with
4 Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger,
Senegal, and Togo.
the exception of Cape Verde, are trying to form
a second monetary zone, the West African
Monetary Zone (WAMZ), which would
eventually merge with WAEMU to form a
single ECOWAS monetary zone.
3.1.1.2 The second facet of the institutional
setting is multiplicity, as evidenced by the
existence of about 30 regional organizations,
many of which are linked to either WAEMU or
ECOWAS. These two blocks tend to have the
same structures, and their individual progress in
regional integration is uneven. Although
member states strive to transcend the linguistic
and geopolitical divides in the region, these
differences still present challenges for the
integration process. Achieving efficient
coordination and rationalization among the
dense network of regional institutions are
necessary remedies to these fundamental
challenges. The ECOWAS-WAEMU stronger
policy convergence remains a tremendous
challenge.
3.1.2 Political Context and Governance
3.1.2.1 Democratic principles, including multi-
party democracies, are taking root in West
Africa.5 Compared to a decade ago, the political
climate in the region has improved (Graph 1).
Elections—legislative and presidential—and
referenda have either taken place or will be
conducted in three quarters of ECOWAS member
countries during 2010 to 2012. Efforts are still
necessary to strengthen the credibility of processes
and political institutions, the legitimacy of election
outcomes, as well as achieving inclusive
participation of populations and civil societies.
3.1.2.2 ECOWAS has made significant
progress in resolving longstanding conflicts,
and has remained proactive in preventing new
tensions from blossoming into destabilizing
crises. A new Mechanism for Conflict
Prevention, Management and Resolution, Peace
Building and Security, which includes
protocols for democracy and good governance,
5 Cape Verde, Ghana, and Mali have blazed the trail in democratic
governance with political alternation and prudent economic
management. Togo and Benin, as well as post-conflict countries such as
Liberia and Sierra Leone, have conducted successful elections.
However, the fragile states in the region will continue to require a great
amount of trust building to sustain the peace and to consolidate the
foundations for democracy and development.
3
is in place. In keeping with these protocols,
ECOWAS, in alignment with the AU’s action,
had suspended Guinea, Niger and Côte d’Ivoire
following coups and repression of dissent in
those countries. Guinea held democratic
elections at the end of 2010 and has since been
reintegrated into both bodies. Niger also
returned to democracy. Nevertheless, the region
remains fragile and reversals cannot be ruled
out. The recent Presidential electoral crisis in
Côte d’Ivoire and its aftermath are political
challenges that have renewed concerns about
peace and stability in ECOWAS.
3.1.2.3 On the governance front, since the
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was
launched in 2003, the West African countries of
Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana,
Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo have acceded
to become party to the APRM. Some of these
countries have also taken measures to internalize
the APRM processes in their national policy and
public sector management.
Source: AfDB Statistics Department using data from the WEF, 2010.
3.1.3 Special Considerations
3.1.3.1 West Africa is a politically and
culturally complex region, with its diversity of
religions, dialects, and vestiges of colonial
systems reinforced by the linguistic divide.
Other prominent features of the region include
abundant human, land, energy (oil and gas) and
mineral resources; the dominance of Nigeria,
which accounts for 50 and 68 percent of the
region’s population and GDP respectively (see
Annex 9); the small size of other national
markets, and the limited market access of the
three landlocked countries (Burkina Faso, Mali
and Niger); and lingering political and
economic fragility 6 in the post-conflict period
due to high levels of poverty and social
inequality (close to 60 percent of the population
still lives on less than one US dollar a day).
3.1.3.2 Despite these inherent complexities, the
movement of people in West Africa is
relatively more permissive than in other regions
of the continent. This is due in part to policies
implemented by the community (adoption of
rules encouraging free movement of people,
issuance of an ECOWAS passport, etc.), and in
part to historical and cultural factors, notably
the great pre-colonial empires. Overall,
therefore, the region’s social fabric represents
both challenges and opportunities for the
regional integration process.
3.1.3.3 Infrastructure and natural resources in
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Guinea-
Bissau have suffered from the conflicts of the
past two decades. Cape Verde, the only island
country in West Africa, has participated more
actively7 in ECOWAS activities in recent years,
despite having its own independent initiatives
with the European Union (EU).
3.1.4 Economic Context
3.1.4.1 Growth Performance. Growth in the
ECOWAS region was relatively strong during
the middle of the last decade. Real GDP growth
was above 5 percent in 2004 and 2005, and
reached almost 6 percent in 2007 before
declining in 2009 as a result of the global
economic crisis. Growth began to rise again in
2010 (Graph 2). The renewed growth in
commodity prices (notably oil and minerals)
has benefited natural resource-rich West African
countries8, and is fostering higher growth in the
region as a whole. The region as a whole recorded
a real GDP growth rate of 6.7 percent in 2010, the
highest among Africa’s five Regional Economic
Communities (RECs).9
6Six of the 15 ECOWAS countries are classified as fragile: Togo, Côte
d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. 7 In particular, it hosts the West Africa Institute for International
Research on Regional Integration and Social Transformations (IAO)
and the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency (ECREEE). 8 Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Guinea. 9 Annual Report 2010, ADB.
-0.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0
Political Stability
Political Rights
Civil Liberty
Graph 1: Political Context, 2009 Score -4.0 (Worst) to 2.5 (Best)
Africa West Africa
4
3.1.4.2 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in
West Africa was understandably affected by the
recent financial and economic crisis. After
several years of sustained growth, inflows to
West Africa fell by almost 10 percent between
2008 and 2009, to US$10 billion. FDI flows to
West Africa are mainly concentrated in the
natural resource sectors (oil and gas, gold, iron
ore, magnesium, timber) and the resource-rich
countries.
3.1.4.3 Economic Outlook. Although the
African economies have emerged from the
global crisis and expansion is set to continue,
there are still major risks to Africa’s economic
outlook. There are risks related to the drivers of
global recovery—the demand for minerals and
hydrocarbons—and to the state of the world
food market. For West Africa, the recent
political upheavals and the related challenges in
Côte d’Ivoire is likely to generate regional
repercussions—especially for countries such
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—by negatively
affecting financial transfers, investment, trade,
and foreign exchange reserves of the BCEAO.
Inversely, the catch up effects of the
normalization underway in Côte d’Ivoire could
help boost growth prospects.
Source: AfDB Statistics Department; African Economic Outlook April 2011.
3.1.4.4 Economic Performance and
Management. The region’s economic
performance reflects improvements in
macroeconomic management over 2000-2009.
Inflation, though it fluctuated because of the
impact of changing weather patterns on
agriculture, was under control; fiscal discipline
was mixed; both national savings and investment
as a percentage of GDP were rising; and external
debt was declining (cf. Annex 3). Nevertheless,
the region’s significant diversity in
macroeconomic performance poses challenges for
both integration and policy convergence (see next
paragraph). With regard to government financial
operations, average yearly budget deficits ranged
from a high of 6.9 percent, 6.4 percent and 4.4
percent of GDP in Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, and
Gambia, respectively, to an average yearly surplus
of 1.7 percent, 1.6 percent and 0.5 percent of GDP
in Nigeria, Niger and Liberia. The composition of
government expenditures and revenues also
shows wide variations across the region.
However, and remarkably, in 2010, West Africa
and Central Africa were the only regions with a
budgetary surplus, at 2.9 and 0.6 percent of GDP,
respectively10
. Also in 2010, West Africa’s
external current account position improved, with a
surplus increasing from 1.4 percent to 4.6 percent
of GDP.
3.1.4.5 Macroeconomic Policy Convergence
and Harmonization. Policy harmonization
remains overall weak, although WAEMU show
more progress than the larger ECOWAS. In
furtherance of the ECOWAS objective of
creating a single ECOWAS Monetary Zone by
2020, six non-WAEMU countries launched an
initiative in April 2000 to set up a second
monetary union and common currency—the
Eco—alongside the WAEMU’s CFA franc.
The goal is to eventually merge the Eco and the
CFA franc, leading to a single stable currency
for all of West Africa by the target date. As a
consequence, West Africa currently has three
sets of convergence criteria/11
—one each for
WAEMU, WAMZ and ECOWAS. The Bank is
providing assistance to the ECOWAS to
harmonize the three sets of criteria.
3.1.4.6 Over time, the performance of both
blocks in most of the primary convergence
criteria has generally been weak. While
performance with respect to the central bank
financing of fiscal deficit criterion has been
impressive, the WAEMU countries maintained
a zero-financing stance over the entire decade,
and most WAMZ countries consistently met
their targets—performance in the other three
10 ADB Annual Report 2010. 11Cf. Annex 4 for details on primary and secondary criteria.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Graph 2: Real GDP Growth (%)
West Africa Africa
5
primary criteria has been mixed. Seven of the
15 ECOWAS countries have performed
relatively well with respect to the budget
deficit/GDP ratio criterion, while the others
have consistently fallen short.
3.1.4.7 With respect to monetary integration,
the WAEMU zone has been progressing well.
However, integration within the WAMZ and
ECOWAS at large has advanced little beyond
policy intentions. Various assessments of
member countries’ efforts to implement the
criteria show random and weak commitment to
the programs. Overall, there seems to be a
latent risk aversion on the part of WAEMU
countries to buy-in the monetary integration in
the wider ECOWAS.
3.1.4.8 Key Drivers of Growth. Riding on
rising oil and gas output, Nigeria, the largest
economy in West Africa, posted a real GDP
growth of about 8.1 percent in 2010. In
addition, Nigeria has the highest share of the
region’s non-commodity GDP, followed by
Côte-d’Ivoire and Ghana. Growth rates in
Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger are being
boosted investments in the oil and mineral
sectors. The agriculture sector, the mainstay of
most West African economies, also performed
well in 2010 due to good rainfall, and policy
measures implemented by the countries. The
sectoral distribution of growth, however, shows
that while the agriculture sector remains
important, there is a shift towards services
(Graph 4). The manufacturing sector, a critical
contributor to economic development and
social well-being, remains small and weak.
With low specialization in West Africa, a
regionalization of value chains is essential for
sustained growth. A good signal however is
that about 60 percent of the world’s mining
exploration budget has been spent in Africa
alone since 1997, most of it in the ECOWAS
region. The demand for minerals and
hydrocarbons, FDI, and good rainfall, along
with development assistance, will continue to
be the key growth drivers (Cf. Graph 3).
Source: ADB Statistics Department, April 2011.
3.1.4.9 Financial and Monetary
Integration. Overall, the financial market in
West Africa is narrow and shallow, with very
limited interaction between the WAEMU and
non-WAEMU sub-markets. With progress now
well advanced among the WAEMU countries,12
a key challenge is to advance financial market
integration throughout ECOWAS. Efforts will
be needed on key fronts, including the
integration of legal, regulatory, and payments
infrastructure. The Bank’s assistance in the area
of financial sector integration complements the
programs of other development partners,
including the IMF and the World Bank. The
integration with Nigeria’s financial market
alone, considering its size, will be a huge step
12 The sub-group has a single central bank, BCEAO, which conducts
monetary policy for the entire sub-group. It also has a single banking
regulator, a unified payment system, and a regional stock market, the
BRVM. However, some challenges remain, including the slow pace of
private sector financing. Despite its financing of public sector entities,
the BRVM has attracted few private companies since the start of its
activities in 1998. The BRVM authorities are considering a series of
reforms to reinvigorate its contribution to the financing of the regional
economy.
-2.1
35.5
15.9
-5.7
39.7
19.9
Annual Export Growth (%)
Aid per Capita (US $)
Foreign Direct Investment as % of Gross Fixed Capital Formation
Graph 3: Key Growth Drivers, 2009
Africa West Africa
Agriculture33%
Industry 36%
Services 31%
Graph 4: GDP by Sector (2009)
6
toward financial integration of West Africa.
Nigerian authorities, mindful of this, have made
financial integration one of the strategic pillars
of their Financial Sector Strategy 2020. Efforts
are underway to integrate the Nigerian Stock
Exchange, the Bourse régionale de valeurs
mobilières (BRVM) in Abidjan, and the Ghana
Stock Exchange, including mutual cross-listing
and trading of stocks. The potential for cross‐border portfolio investments by ECOWAS
institutions and individuals is high, should the
three leading stock exchanges integrate; but full
integration is still a long way off.
3.1.4.10 The creation of a single currency,
for example, was postponed several times before
the Roadmap for the ECOWAS Single Currency
Program 2009-2020 was adopted in 2009.
January 2015 is now the new date for achieving
the second monetary union, the WAMZ. Despite
the regional stakeholders’ commitment to it and
its associated timelines, it appears the Roadmap
is facing implementation challenges relating to
coordination and inadequate capacity of some
of the institutions responsible for carrying out
some of its activities.
3.1.5 Trade
3.1.5.1 The region’s trade-GDP ratio has
ranged from 45 percent in 1981 to 71 percent in
2000 and 68 percent in 2008. Exports in the
region are highly concentrated, with the top 10
products typically comprising more than 80
percent of total exports. Despite aspirations to
achieve a common ECOWAS market, the
intensity of intra-regional trade among its
member states remains at a very small 10
percent of total trade (20 percent for landlocked
countries)13
. This low intensity level, however,
represents significant growth over the years and
the community leads some RECs in Africa on
this score. Moreover, the low level of recorded
intra-regional trade may be misleading, since
informal or unrecorded trade is prevalent in the
region, mostly in agricultural and light
manufacturing products, with women featuring
prominently as traders. The volume of informal
intra-regional trade is estimated at about 15
13
Annex 14 provides details on bilateral intra-ECOWAS
trade.
percent of total trade14
, with a magnitude
ranging from 1.7 percent in Mali to 92 percent
in Benin. It also appears that informal trade is
more intense in countries sharing borders with
Nigeria and Ghana. To generate a deeper
knowledge of informal trade, the Bank advised
ECOWAS to pursue their current work on this
structural issue.
3.1.5.2 Trade Liberalization. ECOWAS
launched a Trade Liberalization Scheme
(ETLS) in 1990, and planned to move to a
Customs Union with a Common External
Tariff (CET) by 2008. Despite some
implementation challenges, a Free Trade Area
(FTA) has been achieved, with tariffs on
products from member states abolished within
the community. However, complex procedures
regarding rules-of-origin, discordant customs
systems and procedures, difficulties with
insurance and bond guarantees for transit cargo,
and other non-tariff barriers (NTB), including
roadblocks and demands for informal
payments, have frustrated the objectives of the
FTA. WAEMU countries have, in the
meantime, formed their own Customs Union,
with the adoption of a CET in January 2000 and
an Inter-State Road Transit Convention, which
made possible the creation of a cross-border
insurance system. WAEMU also achieved
progress in the harmonization of domestic
taxation with the VAT ranging from of 18%-
20% and excise duty. These achievements
notwithstanding, the WAEMU Customs Union
faces implementation challenges, with its
member states failing to agree to the collection
of the CET at the point of entry into the
community, instead of each country doing so at
its border. In order to boost intra-ECOWAS
trade, NTBs hindering the free flow of goods
should be removed, and negotiations on the
CET should come to closure. In an effort to
check these obstacles, a Regional Observatory
of Bad Practices has recently been established,
and has shown a promising début.
3.1.5.3 On the global scene, attention is
currently focused on the WTO Aid for Trade
(AfT) process and on Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPAs) with the EU. Key issues in
14
On the basis of a partial study by ECOWAS.
7
the negotiations with the EU include (i) short-
term compensation to the ECOWAS countries
for the likely revenue loss from reduced tariffs
on EU products; (ii) most-favored nation status
for ECOWAS countries; and (iii) EU support to
enhance the production capabilities of
ECOWAS countries, to improve their
competitiveness within the EU-ECOWAS
trading zone. Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire and
Ghana have signed interim EPA agreements
with the EU.
3.1.5.4 The Africa Growth and Opportunity
Act (AGOA), sponsored by the USA, is also an
important trade process engaging the ECOWAS
countries. Another important development has
been the rise of China’s engagement in the
region, and indeed with all of Africa. In
response, the ECOWAS Commission is
intensifying the ECOWAS–China dialogue,
including through organizing such events as the
ECOWAS–China Economic and Trade Forums.
Such initiatives offer opportunities and
challenges that need to be properly
mainstreamed at both the national and
community levels.
3.1.6 Business Climate and Competitiveness
3.1.6.1 Composition of the Private Sector.
The domestic West Africa private sector is
mostly made up of SMEs. The largest
companies are mostly concentrated in Nigeria,
and operate mainly in the banking,
telecommunications and industrial sectors.
Thus, 11 of the 12 companies in West Africa
that have market capitalization of more than
USD1billion are Nigerian companies, and 7 of
these are in the banking sector. 44 of the 50
largest companies in West Africa are also
Nigerian companies.
3.1.6.2 Business Climate. Much remains to be
done to improve business climate. According to
the World Bank’s Doing Business 2010, more
than two-thirds (11 out of 15) of ECOWAS
countries ranked in the bottom quintile of the
183 countries assessed; 3 were in the fourth
quintile, and only one (Ghana), ranked as high
as the third quintile—around the median. When
comparing only African countries, Ghana is
still better ranked (Table A). Along with reform
efforts by individual countries, efforts are
ongoing to harmonize business laws and
procedures across ECOWAS to facilitate cross-
border business. Notable in this regard is the
OHADA Treaty (Organisation pour
l’Harmonisation du Droit des Affaires en
Afrique), which includes all the WAEMU
countries as well as Guinea. With the adoption
of Uniform Laws or Acts15
, OHADA made a
radical contribution to regional integration by
transferring the development and enactment of
harmonized business laws from national
authorities to a supranational body. It also
allowed the Common Court to have final
jurisdiction over business law cases, although
this remains a challenge as incidentally there are
frictions between the national courts and the
Common Court. Building on the OHADA
initiative, ECOWAS is working towards the
harmonization of business laws, including the
adoption of a Regional Investment Policy
Framework and a Regional Competition Policy.
Clearly, ECOWAS should step up efforts with
respect to business harmonization in view to
promote the private sector.
3.1.6.3 Competitiveness. Supply-side factors,
particularly infrastructure and skills, compound
the effects of the region’s difficult business
climate to act as powerful constraints on
competitiveness in the region. In the 2010
“Global Competitiveness Index” (GCI), the nine
ECOWAS countries16 as a whole have an average
score of 3.50, which would rank them 120 out of
139 countries in the bottom quintile. The best
ranked country is Gambia (rank 90) but all the
others are in the bottom quartile of global
competitiveness. All the selected ECOWAS
countries, except Cape Verde, are in the stage of
economic development where basic “basic
requirements”17 drive competitiveness. So
ECOWAS would have to show strong
performance in basic requirements in order to
boost its global competitiveness. Beyond the
15
Uniform Act on General Commercial Law; Uniform Act on
Commercial Companies and Economic Interest Groups; Uniform Act
on Securities Law; Uniform Act on Debt Recovery and Enforcement; Uniform Act on Bankruptcy and Insolvency; Uniform Act on
Arbitration; Uniform Act on Accounting; Uniform Act on Regulating
Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Road. 16
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana,
Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. 17Institutions, Infrastructure, Macroeconomic Environment, Health and Primary Education.
8
pillars used to assess the GCI, the review of
sector specific factors below shows the full extent
of constraints to competiveness in the region.
3.1.6.4 Transport and logistics. West
Africa has the lowest quality of transport
services, as measured by the Logistics
Performance Index (LPI: 2.19), compared to
both other regions in Africa (2.27-2.73) and the
rest of the world (3.01-3.99). Furthermore,
landlocked countries pay much more for
transport services (cf. Annex 5). In addition to
the poor quality of the existing road
infrastructure, the road transport links still
reflect the North-South commodity trade routes
of the colonial era. East-West routes networks
which would better support the development of
intra-African trade are weak. Finally,
opportunities also exist to restore river
navigation within an integrated system of
surface transport.
3.1.6.4.1 Eleven of the fifteen ECOWAS
countries have railway systems, which operate
at different levels of capacity and efficiency.
With few exceptions, they are not inter-
connected and have a mixture of three different
gauge sizes.18
The Bank-financed ECOWAS
Railways Interconnection Study (2008) set
priorities for developing the 17 railway
interconnection links identified in the
ECOWAS Railway Master Plan, and indicated
those that would be potential candidates for
private sector involvement or public-private
partnership. The links were prioritized based on
their: (i) economic and financial viability; (ii)
technical feasibility; (iii) potential environ-
mental and social impacts, including poverty
reduction; and (iv) potential gender impacts.
Two of those links (B2, Kaya–Dori–Niamey;
and B1, Bamako–Bougouni–Ouangolodougou)
—are now the subject of detailed design
studies, supported by EU and other donors
financing. Regional authorities are also
mobilizing funding for detailed studies of other
links, including Ouangolodougou–Sikasso-
Bougouni- Bamako (Côte d’Ivoire–Mali);
Niamey-Dosso –Kaura Namoda (Niger–
Nigeria); and Niamey-Dosso–Parakou (Niger–
Benin).
18
Meter gauge (1,000 mm); Cape gauge (1,067 mm), and Standard
gauge (1,435 mm).
3.1.6.4.2 Regional air transport is inadequate
to meet growing regional demand. Thus,
effective implementation of the Yamoussoukro
Agreement on the liberalization of air transport
and improving its safety should be the main
areas of regional efforts.
3.1.6.4.3 Port infrastructure and operations.
Despite recent improvements, most of the ports
in West Africa do not have the berth depth to
handle large container ships (1000-2200 TEU).
Many countries in the region are contemplating
expanding their ports. However, given that the
region accounts for only about 1 percent of the
world’s container traffic, there is a need to
coordinate and rationalize ongoing and planned
port investments to avoid uneconomic over-
expansion of capacities. The increased role
played by the private sector in ports
investments and management in West Africa
certainly reduces the risks of sustainable
overinvestment.
3.1.6.5 On ICT, national systems are in
place, but little has been done at the regional
level. The regional institutions could greatly
improve their efficiency and productivity by
using ICT tools to trade support, customs,
immigration, transportation, and energy.
ECOWAS is addressing the challenge of
developing a regional ICT infrastructure
through (i) implementation of the INTELCOM
II program, including construction of
alternative broadband infrastructure, and the
Table A : Doing Business in 2009 and 2010
Country2009
Rank
2010
Rank
Status-
Improvem
ent (▼)
West Africa
Benin 41 41 ►
Burkina Faso 25 26 ▲
Côte d'Ivoire 37 40 ▲
Cape Verde 24 18 ▼
Ghana 8 6 ▼
Guinea 42 47 ▲
Gambia 23 25 ▲
Guinea Bissau 49 44 ▼
Liberia 27 30 ▲
Mali 29 28 ▼
Niger 43 42 ▼
Nigeria 15 21 ▲
Senegal 30 27 ▼
Sierra Leone 26 24 ▼
Togo 35 35 ►
Source: AfDB Statistics Department using data from Doing Business,WB
9
laying of submarine cables; and (ii)
harmonization of telecommunication/ICT
policies and regulatory frameworks.19
Despite
this progress, achieving a modern level of
connectivity will require major investments
from both the private and public sectors. The
Bank is supporting such efforts, including
through the financing of the Main One Cable
Project20
.
3.1.6.6 The region’s energy generation
potential is concentrated mainly in Nigeria (oil
and gas), Guinea (hydro), Côte d’Ivoire (oil and
gas), Ghana (oil and gas), Niger (uranium);
Benin and Togo (Hydro), and in the shared
water basins of the Gambia River Development
Organization (OMVG); the Organisation pour
la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS);
the Volta River; and the Authority Basin of
Niger (ABN). The region is also endowed with
enormous potential in solar and wind energy,
hence the creation of the Regional Centre for
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
(ECREEE) in Cape Verde. Despite this energy
endowment, the region’s electricity
consumption per capita is among the lowest in
the world (less than 150 kWh per capita),21
and
19 Under INTELCOM II, studies have been completed, with
assistance from the International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) to develop the following missing links: Burkina Faso-
Niger, Burkina Faso-Benin, and Burkina Faso-Ghana. In
addition, a study to explore the possibility of leveraging the
potential excess fibre capacity on the power network of the West
Africa Power Pool (WAPP), to improve on connectivity in the
region, was launched in 2009 with the assistance of the World
Bank. The WAPP forms part of the World Bank’s West Africa
Regional Connectivity program. European Union (EU) funding
for the WAPP has also been mobilized in the framework of an
ECOWAS-EU contribution agreement, and a feasibility study
has been carried out with a view to, among other things,
interconnecting the following countries: Guinea Bissau,
Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. 20 The project, which involve the laying 7,000 kilometers of
submarine fiber optic cable running between Seixal in Portugal,
Accra in Ghana, and Lagos in Nigeria, with branching units to
the Canary Islands, Morocco, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, is
expected to lead to greater regional and international
connectivity and a reduction in the cost of communication in
West Africa. In May 2009, the Bank approved a private sector
loan of up to USD 60 million to contribute to the financing of
this project. The main sponsor of the project is Main Street
Technologies, a Nigerian company. 21 By comparison, KhW per capita energy consumption is
approximately 500 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 650 in South Asia,
1,600 in East Asia and Pacific, 1,850 in Middle East and North
Africa, 2,200 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 4,500 in
Europe and Central Asia.
household access is only 20 percent (40 percent
in urban and 6-8 percent in rural areas). Current
installed capacity is 10,640 MW, of which only
about 60 percent is functional in meeting
suppressed demand, which totals about 6,500
MW. Of this installed capacity, about 56
percent is in Nigeria, 17 percent in Ghana and
13 percent in Côte d’Ivoire. By 2020, demand
will grow to an estimated 22,000 MW, which
underscores the power challenge in the region.
Improving energy production and markets
integration in the region will yield high
economic and social returns.
3.1.6.7 It is, therefore, important to promote
the emergence of a regional energy market by
linking national energy grids. This would
enable the region’s energy production potential
to be realized, and coverage increased
throughout West Africa. Regional efforts in
production and interconnection would also help
to offset the huge costs of energy generation
and transportation for countries with limited
financial capabilities.
3.1.6.8 Other Factors Affecting
Competitiveness. Other factors affecting the
region’s competitiveness include lack of land
tenure and security, and lack of predictability
and transparency in the management of mining
resources. To mitigate some of the region’s
competitiveness constraints, the WAEMU
Commission has been implementing, with
support from donors, the programme de mise à
niveau, which aims at upgrading the capacity of
private enterprises. So far, about 115 private
enterprises have participated in this
programme.
3.1.7 Social Context
3.1.7.1 The average per capita income in
ECOWAS was US$867 in 2009—the lowest
among all regions in Africa22
. Moreover, the
ECOWAS figure masks intra-regional
differences and the wide gap between the
relatively high urban incomes and very low
rural incomes. About 60 percent of the rural
22By comparison, per capita income in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was US$2,674; in the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) it was US$1019;
and in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) it was US$1271.
10
population in ECOWAS survives on US$1 per
day. The region is unlikely to meet the
Millennium Development Goals of reducing
poverty to 35 percent by 2015. This is
especially true for the region’s fragile states and
landlocked countries.
3.1.7.2 Other manifestations of the poor social
conditions in West Africa include low life
expectancy (48 years in 2009), the high rate of
infant mortality (95.8 per 1,000), and the high
rate of infant morbidity (160.7 per 1,000). The
region also continues to have a high incidence
of endemic diseases, including malaria, cholera,
typhoid fever and tuberculosis. HIV/AIDS also
imposes a serious burden, particularly on the
youth and working age population.23
Further,
63.6 percent of people in ECOWAS had no
potable water in 2008. With respect to
education, more than 45 percent of the adult
population is illiterate, compared to 39 percent
in SSA. At the current rate, the majority of
ECOWAS countries are not likely to meet the
MDG of universal education for both boys and
girls by 2015.
3.1.7.3 Gender. All ECOWAS member states
have adopted the UN Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) and other gender
policies, which are at various stages of
implementation with weak or mitigated results
at best. The ECVOWAS gender agenda
includes three core objectives: (i) mobilize
women and empower them to be active
participants in the regional integration process;
(ii) mainstream Gender in ECOWAS
institutions and member States; and (iii)
develop networks and partnership with relevant
agencies for technical and financial support for
ECOWAS Gender mainstreaming programme.
Women comprise 11.6 percent of all members
of parliament in West Africa in 1997-2008, up
from 7.2 percent during the previous decade
(1985-1996). More significantly, women
comprised 20.9 percent of the total number of
government officials—an increase of 8.3
percent over the previous decade, and the
highest percentage after Southern Africa. In the
23 In 2007, an estimated 7.02 million adults (15-49 years) in
West Africa were living with HIV/AIDS.
private sector, women comprised 18 percent of
administrators and managers, the highest on the
continent. A recent Bank study also found that
in Mali, for example, women’s earnings are
more likely to be in the lower income
categories, while men’s earnings are more
likely to be in the higher income categories24
.
Thus, the ECOWAS Gender Agenda still has a
long way to go to achieve the gender equity
targets of the third Millennium Goal (MDG3)
by 2015.25
3.1.7.4 Another contributing factor to the poor
social conditions in West Africa is the high
level of unemployment, especially among the
youth considering the fact that they constitute
the majority of the population (about two-
third). Despite the generally poor quality of
statistics in most West African countries,
unemployment rates are generally high,
reaching 20% in Nigeria, for example2627
.
Moreover, those working are usually employed
in the agricultural sector and in the informal
sector, which is characterized by low
productivity, and inadequate protection of
labour rights. According to the International
Labor Organization (ILO), about 69.7%; 49.5%
and 71.4% respectively of person employed in
Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Mali in the non
agricultural sector are in the informal sector.
Addressing the employment problem requires
24 African Development Bank (2011) ‘‘Gender in Employment:
Case Study of Mali’’; Chief Economist’s Complex, Volume 1,
Issue 1, 12 April 2011. 25 The MDG3 target, Eliminating Gender Disparity, includes
gender equality and women’s empowerment in education and
employment, and full participation in the region’s economy and
political decision-making. 26
In Nigeria, the largest economy of the region, the overall
national unemployment rate for 2009 is estimated at 19.7%.
However, unemployment was highest in the age group between
15 and 24 years, estimated at about 41.6%. Broken down into
rural and urban areas, youth unemployment rate is 49.9% in the
urban areas and 39.6% in the rural areas. Source: Nigeria
National Bureau of statistics Statistical News No. 476 dated
13th July 2010, available at
http://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/ext/latest_release/LabourForces
tat.pdf extracted on August 29, 2011.
27 The 2010 Gallup Survey found that 19%, 17%, 14%, 20%
and 30% of Nigerians (i) employed full-time, (ii) self-
employed, (iii) employed part-time, but do not want full-time
job, (iv) underemployed, and (v) out of the work-force
respectively thought it was a good time to find a job in the city
or area they lived in. The median numbers for the continent
were 17%, 16%, 11%, 15%, and 40% respectively.
11
efforts to strengthen the productive base of
West African economies, a goal that regional
integration, which the Bank aims to support
through the strategy defined in this paper, has
the potential to significantly contribute to.
3.1.8 Environment and Climate Change
3.1.8.1 West Africa’s ecosystem varies from
mangroves in the Niger delta to tropical forests
along the coast; and to savannah and semi-
desert merging into the Sahara desert. The
tropical forest extending from Guinea to
Cameroon in Central Africa is rich in valuable
timber and provides habitat for many species of
flora and fauna. From the coastal forests
through the savannahs there is considerable
arable land for commercial agriculture. The
region is also richly endowed with rivers and
water basins that cut across several countries;
and with minerals ranging from oil and natural
gas to gold, iron ore, tin, magnesium and
others. Due to dense population along the coast
and intense exploitation of resources, the
region’s ecosystem is under pressure from soil
depletion and deforestation. West Africa also
faces environmental pollution and degradation
from oil drilling, flaring of natural gas, and
extraction of minerals (Annex 6). Other
challenges include coastal erosion; increased
frequency of droughts and floods, apparently
due to climate change; encroachment by the
Sahara desert; and increasing urbanization with
limited urban services, particularly along the
coast.
3.1.8.2 Climate Change. With its geographic
diversity, West Africa is subject to large
variations in climate. In 1973, long before
ECOWAS was created, the Comité permanent
inter-Etats de lutte contre la sècheresse dans le
Sahel (CILSS) was organized to invest in
research on food security and the fight against
desertification for better equilibrium in the
Sahel zone. In 2007, ECOWAS developed a
regional strategy and plan of action to reduce
vulnerability to climate change through better
integration of climate change policies in
national and regional development programs. In
addition, WAEMU has its own policy, the
Common Policy for Improvement of the
Environment (PCAE), which provides a
framework for sector-based climate change
interventions, with a focus on industry,
agriculture and forests, energy and spatial
planning.
3.1.9 Transboundary Water Resources
West Africa possesses almost half of
the continent’s hydrological resources, trans-
boundary rivers, lakes, and water basins (28 out
of 60), with a total estimated potential of 1,300
billion m3/year. There are considerable
economic benefits to be derived from
improving the management of the region’s
transboundary water resources. These resources
provide significant opportunities to (i) develop
the industrial, agricultural, and fishery sectors;
(ii) improve food security and sustainable
resource management; (iii) develop river
navigation as part of a multimodal transport
system; and (iv) generate hydropower. With the
exception of the relatively young Volta Basin
Authority (established in 2007), the West
African River Basin Organizations (RBOs)
have developed or are in the process of
developing a large number of hydraulic
infrastructure works. The OMVG, OMVS, and
the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) have begun
to mobilize resources for hydropower dams.
3.2 Regional Strategic Objectives
3.2.1 The ECOWAS Vision 2020 aims to
deepen the integration process and promote a
West African identity and community among
the population. The Vision Statement is: “To
create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and
cohesive region, built on good governance and
where people have the capacity to access and
harness its enormous resources through the
creation of opportunities for sustainable
development and environmental preservation.”
3.2.2 The Regional Strategic Plan (2011-
2015) derived from the Vision articulates six
strategic pillars: (i) promote good governance
and justice; (ii) strengthen mechanisms
for conflict prevention, management and
resolution; (iii) promote infrastructure
development to support a competitive business
environment, sustained development and
cooperation in the region; (iv) deepen economic
and monetary integration; (v) reinforce
12
institutional capacity; and (vi) strengthen
mechanisms for integration into the global
market. The Commission is currently in a
process of developing an Action Plan and a
Community Development Program (CDP),
which will further support implementation of
the Vision and the Regional Strategic Plan.
3.3 Main Challenges and Opportunities
3.3.1 The two most important barriers to
realizing the Vision and Strategic Plan are
inadequate modern cross border infrastructure
and weak institutional and human capacity of
the RECs in West Africa. Lack of adequate
regional transport infrastructure (road, rail, air,
and water), and of energy, ICT, water supply
and sanitation systems, constitutes a major
hindrance to regional integration and economic
growth. In road transport in particular, the lack
of East-West (horizontal) corridors has a direct
negative impact on intra-regional trade.
Improving air and rail transport is also a key
requirement for effective integration in longer
term. It is acknowledged that weak
performance of implementation mechanisms,
attributable to weak capacities, has been
another key factor contributing to the slow pace
of regional integration.
3.3.2 The third barrier is the fragmented
nature of the region’s markets. There is an
urgent need for ECOWAS member states to
complete the process of establishing an
effective FTA in the region. A fourth barrier is
also a need to reconcile the discord between the
signing of protocols by member states and their
effective implementation, despite the
establishment in all member states of
ECOWAS units. ECOWAS should empower
and upgrade these units into effective vehicles
for implementing the integration agenda. This
will require donors and ECOWAS to build the
capacity of such units to achieve greater
effectiveness.
3.3.3 A fifth barrier to regional integration in
West Africa is the duality and multiplicity of
integration architecture. These conditions
have made it difficult, for the Joint Technical
Secretariat established by ECOWAS and
WAEMU to harness synergies between the two
entities. A sixth challenge is mission creep.
ECOWAS appears to be engaged in almost
every aspect of the economic and social
development of its member states. There may
be a need to strengthen selectivity, and to
reflect more on which areas could be left to the
responsibility of national governments and
which genuinely require strong regional
leadership.
3.3.4 Other challenges include (i) how to
meaningfully involve the private sector and
civil society in regional integration efforts,
although ECOWAS is working on ways to link
private sector actors across the community and
to strengthen their commitment to developing a
regional market28
, (ii) strengthening confidence
among member countries that the benefits of
regional integration are shared equitably.
Towards achieving this objective, the
ECOWAS and WAEMU have developed
mechanisms to strengthen solidarity among their
member countries. In the WAEMU, for example,
there is a Community Solidarity Levy, which has
been instituted to finance development projects
in less developed member countries or regions
within the Union. WAEMU structural funds,
which are supported by donors, are also used to
further compensate less developed member
countries. Such mechanisms also exist at the
ECOWAS, and (iii) the need to improve
statistical systems in the region towards
strengthening the design and implementation of
development policies.
3.3.5 Despite these challenges and regional
realities, there are a number of opportunities
for enhancing the regional integration process.
First and foremost, there is a high degree of
political will. Some countries have even
provided in their constitutions for surrendering
national sovereignty to regional institutions. In
addition, eight ECOWAS countries—Benin,
Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia,
Nigeria, Senegal and Togo—have adopted a
28 Important initiatives include the Commission’s sponsorship
of periodic ECOWAS Business Forums; establishment of the
ECOWAS Business Council as an body to advise Heads of
State and Governments; and facilitation support to regional
business organizations such as the Federation of West African
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACC) and the
Federation of West African Manufacturers Association
(FEWAMA).
13
regional passport, enabling the free movement
of citizens across national borders.
3.3.6 West Africa also possesses a rich
resource base, especially oil and mineral
resources, which can be exploited to enhance
regional integration and growth. There are also
several emerging regional economic
champions, particularly in the financial services
and infrastructure sectors. For instance, the
Togo‐based Ecobank Transnational is Pan‐African in outlook, and has established
subsidiaries in all the ECOWAS countries.
Leading Nigerian banks have also established
subsidiaries in several ECOWAS countries.
Mention should also be made of cross‐border
investments in securities and treasury bills. For
example, Databank Group of Ghana manages a
mutual fund, Epack, with portfolio investments in
Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria. In infrastructure,
cross‐border investments involving the private
sector tend to be in the form of PPP. A good
example is the West African Gas Pipeline Project
where Chevron and Shell partnered with
government owned entities in Nigeria, Benin,
Togo and Ghana to construct a pipeline to supply
natural gas from Nigeria to the other three
countries. In telecommunications, Globacom, a
Nigerian owned private company, operates in
Nigeria and Benin and has acquired licenses to
operate in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. Finally, the
region also has a vibrant (albeit often informal)
system of cross-border economic exchange.
3.4 Current Responses and Initiatives
3.4.1 At the political level, ECOWAS has
made significant progress in resolving long-
standing conflicts, and remains proactive in
preventing new tensions from escalating into
destabilizing crises. At the institutional level,
the recent transformation of the ECOWAS
Secretariat into the ECOWAS Commission,
with a new mandate and business model to
press ahead with the regional integration
agenda, is an important step. On the
macroeconomic and trade fronts, convergence
criteria and monetary integration are taking
place, although at a very slow and uneven pace
depending on the blocks. As part of the move
toward an FTA, ECOWAS members agreed on
a four-band CET regime, and a fifth has
recently been approved. There is also progress
on regional trade facilitation, through the
establishment of joint border posts, the creation
and operationalization of an observatory of bad
practices to monitor, report and shame practices
contrary to the spirit of integration within the
region, and information platforms for
monitoring transit cargo.
3.4.2 At the sectoral level, there are an
impressive number of programs and initiatives
aimed at advancing the integration agenda:
infrastructure development, private sector
development, agriculture, desertification,
natural resources management, transboundary
water management (creation of the ECOWAS
Water Resources Coordination Centre tasked
with the implementation of West Africa Water
Resources Policy), environmental and climate
change, science and technology, ICT,
education, health, disaster prevention and
management, protection of women and children
against trafficking and violence, drug and arms
control, and others. These initiatives are at
various stage of implementation, but progress
overall has been unsatisfactory. However, the
broad range of these ECOWAS activities could
entail a risk of mission creep (cf. para. 3.3.3).
3.4.3 Flagship regional initiatives include the
West African Power Pool (WAPP) and the
West African Gas Pipeline; the Energy and
Transport Fund (Fonds de développement des
transports et de l’énergie, FODETE); the
ECOWAS Project Preparation and
Development Facility to fast-track regional
infrastruc-ture project development; and the
regional and national Corridor Management
Organizations (CMO) to monitor and manage
road corridors.
3.5 Coordination of Aid and other
Development Interventions
3.5.1 The major players are the ECOWAS
and WAEMU Commissions, CILSS, the
Autorité de développement du Liptako–Gourma
(ADLG), the BCEAO, and the RBOs. Other
regional institutions exist independently or
under the ECOWAS and/or WAEMU blocks,
and work with national governments and other
stakeholders to mobilize support for
14
implementation of regional programs and
projects.
3.5.2 There are many donors operating in the
ECOWAS region.29
Areas of interventions
include (i) agricultural development; (ii)
capacity building; (iii) economic integration
and trade; (iv) energy; (v); infrastructure; (vi)
peace building and conflict prevention; (vii)
private sector development, and (viii)
knowledge generation on regional integration
challenges and opportunities. Going forward, it
is expected that coordination of regional
integration aid will strengthen. First, new
initiatives such as the ECOWAS Project
Preparation and Development Unit, the Special
Purpose Companies (SPC) for the
implementation of regional projects (cf. Box 1),
and the FODETE-ECOWAS will come on
stream. Second, this RISP, the first of its kind
for the region, as well the framework
established with the Department for
International Development (DFID) for potential
joint interventions, will improve coherence,
coordination and complementarities.
3.6 Bank’s Regional Portfolio in West
Africa
3.6.1 As this RISP constitutes the first Bank
strategy for the ECOWAS region, experience is
necessarily limited. Although the Bank has
previously financed multinational operations
without a solid regional strategic framework,30
the development impact of these operations will
not be known until the Operations Evaluation
Department (OPEV) assessment is published.
3.6.2 Nevertheless, recent discussions with
regional stakeholders and findings from a
review by the Vice Presidency for Country and
Regional Programs and Policy (ORVP) indicate
that, regional projects and programs are
generally more difficult to develop and
implement, due to their greater complexity and
higher transaction costs. Other key lessons
learned are inadequate attention to the political
economy and capacity constraints. It is
therefore crucial that the Bank develop business
29
Annex 12 provides detailed information on donors’ regional
integration activities in West Africa. 30
Refer to Annex 11 for detailed information on active projects.
practices that are better tailored to the
requirements and peculiar challenges of
regional operations. This RISP proposes Bank
support to the regionally-evolved SPC model in
which ownership of the company is held jointly
by participating countries and a strategic private
partner (Box 1). SPCs will help gain autonomy,
alleviate capacity constraints and build political
consensus around multinational infrastructure
projects in the energy sector. For other
multinational infrastructure projects, ownership
political and institutional analyses will be
carried out at the design stage to help reduce
implementation and results risks.
Box 1. Use of Special Purpose Companies to Strengthen
Regional Capacity for Energy Projects
Implementation
There is consensus among ECOWAS member countries
that the pace of implementation of regional infrastructure
projects has been unacceptably slow. An underlying
reason is that the traditional project delivery process is
not yet attuned to regional needs or the involvement of
multiple governments. Under the RISP, the Bank will
support new regional initiatives to address this challenge.
One such initiative, based on the outcomes of a WAPP
case study, is a regional model known as the Special
Purpose Company (SPC),a which would be set up, where
necessary, to facilitate implementation of priority
regional power projects. The SPC would be structured as
a public-private partnership (PPP) with the interested
WAPP member countries’ utility companies and a
strategic private partner holding equity participation. The
SPC will oversee the design, construction, and
commissioning of identified regional power plants.
Since adoption of the model nearly three years ago, early
experience suggest that five strategic private partners
have pre-qualified for the WAPP projects at Maria Gleta
in Benin (400MW plant) and Aboadze in Ghana (400
MW plant). a The SPC Act was adopted by the WAPP General
Assembly as a regional model for realizing its priority
regional projects; and the proposal was enacted by the
ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on 18th
January 2008 at their Thirty-Third Ordinary Session held
in Ouagadougou.
IV. BANK GROUP STRATEGY FOR
THE REGION
4.1 Rationale for Bank Group Intervention
The rationale for this RISP is based on
the following considerations:
15
(i) The ECOWAS Vision 2020, which aims
to create an “ECOWAS of the People,”
underpinned by the establishment of a seamless
regional market with economies of scale in
economic activities and free movement of
persons, goods and services;
(ii) The strategic priorities of other regional
integration organizations in West Africa, and of
the NEPAD;
(iii) The need to adequately respond to
challenges facing fragile states and landlocked
countries, which pose some of the greatest
challenges from a regional integration
perspective;
(iv) The need to design a strategy that will
be responsive to the key demands of the private
sector, by enabling regional and foreign
investors and entrepreneurs to grow the West
African economy;
(v) Key operational strategies of the Bank,
including the RIS, which focuses on regional
infrastructure and institutional capacity
building over the period 2009-2012; the
strategic and operational framework for
regional operations, and the MTS 2008–2012;
(vi) Lessons learned about the need to
develop business practices that are better
tailored to the management requirements of
regional operations. Such practices will be
piloted under this RISP through infrastructure
energy projects to be designed by the SPCs;
(vii) The need to support development of the
productive sectors of the West African
economies and job creation; and
(viii) The RISP will be guided by the
principle of complementarity and mutual
support with the individual CSPs.
4.2 Strategic Pillars, Deliverables and
Targets
4.2.1 The RISP rests on two pillars: (i)
Linking Regional Markets and (ii) Capacity
Building. As directed by the Regional
Operations Selection and Prioritization
Framework, project selection will be based on
(i) project-related indicators in the participating
countries; and (ii) priorities for the regional
integration agenda. This process will help
rationalize further the selection of projects and
ensure their containment in the pillars and
resources envelope of ADF 12 and ADF 13,
private sector’s resources, and co-financing
from other development partners. The
prioritization exercise (scorecard) will be based
on project assessments (expected development
outcomes and readiness) as well as country
ratings (CPIA of participating countries, their
commitment to regional integration, and
portfolio performance).
4.2.2 Strategic Pillar I: Linking Regional
Markets
4.2.2.1 Towards linking regional markets in
West Africa, Pillar I will support investments in
(i) regional transport infrastructure (missing
links in the Trans-Coastal and Trans-Sahelian
highways; rehabilitation of priority road
corridors; river navigation); (ii) transport and
trade facilitation measures; and (iii) regional
energy production and markets integration. The
Bank will also step up its strategic dialogue on
resource mobilization for the railways sector.
4.2.2.2 Road corridors. The development of
efficient road transport corridors, comprising
both modern physical infrastructure and
modern facilitation and information systems, is
vital for tackling the challenges of regional
integration. The RISP will support the priority
road corridors improvement program adopted
by ECOWAS, with particular emphasis on (i)
completing the missing links in the Trans-
Coastal (4,900 km) and the Trans-Sahelian
(5,400 km) highways and WAEMU Corridors
as prioritized under the ECOWAS Regional
Road Transport and Transit Facilitation
Program for West Africa.
4.2.2.3 Transport and trade facilitation.
Equally important will be the RISP support for
transport and trade facilitation measures.
Including both infrastructure development and
trade facilitation under Pillar I will strengthen
Bank interventions and help support trade
expansion and create a more conducive
environment for private sector investment in
the integration process. Under the RISP, the
Bank will target facilitation support to: (i)
establish a transit regime throughout the region
based on the Convention Transit routier inter-
Etats (TRIE)—also known as the Inter State
Road Transit (ISRT) system—utilizing a
16
regional carnet (merchandise passport) and
guarantee for duties and taxes; (ii) develop
mechanisms for collection of all duties and
taxes at the external borders of the WAEMU
and eventually ECOWAS; and (iii) support
integrated border management through the
introduction of a Single Administrative
Document (SAD) and an Automated System
for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) to link
commodity classifications with tariffs and
inspection requirements (including joint
inspections) in ports and one-stop border posts.
In addition, the Bank is developing a Trade
Facilitation Framework and analytical work on
Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), in collaboration
with the World Bank and UNCTAD, and which
will be particularly useful in the design of the
trade facilitation measures for infrastructure
projects.
4.2.2.4 Support will also be provided for the
formation of Corridor Management
Organizations (CMO), which would be
established by the states for particular corridors,
but funded and driven by the private sector and
stakeholders.31
Responsibilities of the CMOs
(cf. Annex 7) would include setting up
observatories to monitor corridor performance
and disseminate real time information; facilitate
private sector involvement in corridor
improvement projects; and advocate for the
interests of shippers, transporters, and other
stakeholders.
4.2.2.5 Regional energy production and
markets integration. Energy supply is a key
constraint to economic activities in the region.
The energy generation potential is mainly
concentrated in Nigeria, Guinea, Côte-d’Ivoire,
Ghana, Niger, and in the shared water basins of
OMVG and OMVS. The Bank’s strategic
objective for the West Africa energy sector is to
contribute to the emergence of a regional
energy market by interconnecting national grids
and energy markets, so that the region’s energy
production potential is realized and marketed
throughout the region.
31 While private investment can be mobilized in multi-modal
corridors, particularly in some of the high-throughput nodal
interchanges and high traffic points, public investment is
critically important.
4.2.2.6 The West Africa Power Pool project
(WAPP)32
and the West Africa Gas Pipeline
(WAGP)33
project continue to be the flagship
projects in West Africa for regional cooperation
and integration in power generation and
distribution. These projects aim to interconnect
the power systems of the ECOWAS countries,
and to increase capacity by about 12,000 MW
by 2020. Under the RISP, the Bank will also
help ECOWAS to design policies and
mechanisms, including special purpose supra-
national institutional vehicles, to speed up the
development and implementation of energy
projects. Finally, the recently established
ECOWAS Renewable Energy Facility managed
by the ECREEE—which aims at promoting the
deployment of small and medium-scale
renewable energy technologies and services in
peri-urban and rural areas by private
companies, municipalities, NGOs and
cooperatives—is a step in the right direction.
The Bank’s regional projects will collaborate
with the ECREEE in the development of
renewable, clean and sustainable energy for the
region (cf. Annex 10 for specific energy
projects).
4.2.2.7 Railways transport. Considering that
the high costs of railways infrastructure
investments and the current low traffic volumes
poses considerable challenges in mobilizing the
amount of resources needed for West Africa for
such investments, the Bank will step up its
partnership efforts with regional authorities and
other stakeholders towards (i) completion of the
on-going EU-financed detailed engineering
studies (See Paragraph 3.1.6.3.1) and, (ii)
playing a catalytic role in the mobilization of
resources for the railways sector.
32
The WAPP, created in 1999 by the ECOWAS Heads of
State and Government has positioned itself as a key player in
regional efforts to integrate the national power system
operations into a unified regional electricity market - with the
expectation that such mechanism would, over the medium to
long-term, assure the citizens of ECOWAS Member States a
stable and reliable electricity supply at affordable costs.
33
The mandate of the WAGP is to transport natural gas from
Nigeria to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana in a safe,
responsible and reliable manner, at prices competitive with
other fuel alternatives. In May 2011, the company announced
that it was ready to deliver compressed gas to its customers in
Togo and Benin.
17
4.2.2.8 Leveraging the private sector. The
Bank will work actively to increase the flow of
private sector finance to complement its and
member states’ sovereign financing of
infrastructure in the region. The Bank’s Private
Sector Department will seek to leverage private
sector investments in infrastructure. The Bank
will also continue to support financial
intermediaries, such as BOAD, which
participate in infrastructure development on a
regional scale. Projects deriving from detailed
technical studies of regional rail transport and
energy projects are potential candidates for
private sector financing or for PPPs. In
addition, the Bank will discuss with ECOWAS
the opportunity for providing sector specific
training on cross-border PPPs to attract private
sector investments. A pilot training course has
been designed by ONRI and EADI in
collaboration with the WAPP. Similar courses
will be organized in the other sectors and the
set of modules will then be transferred to a
regional centre of excellence for use on a
regular basis.
4.2.3 Strategic Pillar II: Capacity Building
for Effective Implementation of the Regional
Integration Agenda
4.2.3.1 This pillar strengthens the capacity of
ECOWAS/WAEMU, selected regional
institutions, and national entities where
necessary, to deliver more effectively the
integration agenda. Bank’s efforts will focus on:
(i) capacity building for effective policy and
regional projects implementation; (ii) financial
sector integration, (iii) support to regional
research and training centers relevant to the
integration agenda. The Bank will work in
collaboration with other partners in supporting
capacity building, coordinating interventions
where necessary to achieve maximum impact.
4.2.3.2 Capacity building for effective policy
and projects implementation. To improve
implementation of regional integration projects,
particularly in the infrastructure sectors
(transport corridors, energy generation and
transmission), Bank-financed projects will
provide for capacity building. Capacity
building will also continue to be provided to
appropriate regional organs in the areas of
statistics34
, planning, budgeting, financial
management, project coordination and
management, monitoring and evaluation. In
partnership with SWARIP and the EU, the
Bank will focus on strengthening the capacity
of regional bodies to support key integration
areas. The Bank will encourage the ECOWAS
Commission to strengthen the ECOWAS Units
in member states so that they can become
effective vehicles for improving the
implementation of the integration agenda.
4.2.3.3 Capacity building for financial sector
integration. Under this RISP, the Bank will
continue its support to integrating financial
markets in the region, with a view to: (i)
increasing cross-border trade, investment and
FDI inflows into the region and, (ii) increasing
access to finance for micro, small, medium and
large entrepreneurs. This support will be
multidimensional, and will continue to focus
on: (i) financial and technical assistance to
public and private financial institutions that
have a regional footprint (BOAD, BIDC,
private banks in the process of branching out);
and (ii) investments in payment systems
integration, and (iii) dialogue and feasibility
studies to encourage enhanced collaboration
among regulators and promote linkage of the
region’s three stock exchanges and financial
markets (BRVM, Ghana and Nigeria).
4.2.3.4 Support for regional research and
training centers. Towards supporting inclusive
growth and job creation in the region, and in
line with the Bank’s Strategy for Higher
Education, Science and Technology and the
Bank’s MTS, this sub-pillar will aim to
strengthen regional poles of excellences in (i)
research that focus on realizing the growth-
enhancing potential of local products with high
development prospects and, (ii) trainings that
are relevant to the integration agenda.
34The RISP will focus on strengthening the capacity of the
ECOWAS and WAEMU Commissions and WAMI to manage
and disseminate data at the regional level. The Bank’s
assistance will be implemented in the context of the Program
for Statistical Capacity Building in RMCs, which is led by
ESTA.
18
4.2.4 Cross-cutting Issues and Regional
Public Goods
Consistent with the Bank’s policies, the RISP
will ensure that cross-cutting issues—gender,
environment, mitigating the effects of climate
change— as well as job creation and inclusive
growth are mainstreamed in the implementation
of the strategy. Particular attention will also be
given to those projects which qualify as
regional public goods. With respect to climate
change, the Bank will continue to implement its
Management of Climate Risks and Adaptation
(CRMA) Strategy, as well as its Clean Energy
Investment Framework (CEIF). It will also
continue to support ClimDev-Africa (Climate
for Development in Africa), the continental
initiative to produce and disseminate climate
information.
4.2.5 Attention to Fragile States
To ensure that growth at the regional and sub-
regional levels is inclusive, and to maintain
regional stability, special consideration will be
given to the needs of fragile states. In view of
the poor condition of infrastructure in most of
these states, as well natural resource
management challenges and weak institutional
capacities, several interventions that would
benefit fragile states are being considered.
These include, for example, the Côte d’Ivoire-
Liberia-Sierra-Leone-Guinea Power
Interconnection Project; the Togo-Burkina-Faso
and Togo-Benin road corridors, and the Côte-
d’Ivoire-Guinea Road Integration Project. The
Bank is also conducting a major study35
,
financed by the Canadian Trust Fund. The
objective of this study is to suggest priority
infrastructure options to maximize the
economic benefits of regional integration for
each of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and
Guinea-Bissau, including for internal and
regional stability. A medium term action plan
will be proposed to develop them. The study
will cover transport, energy, water, and
telecommunications.
35
‘Flagship report, “Regional Integration and Stability: Inte-
grated Infrastructure Action Plans for Fragile States (Liberia,
Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau).’’
4.2.6 Knowledge Generation and
Management
To strengthen the knowledge base on regional
integration, the Bank will carry out a number of
studies. Two flagship studies will illuminate the
role of Nigeria and Senegal in driving the
agenda. For Nigeria, in particular, the study
will focus on infrastructure, but will also look
at other areas where Nigeria’s potential to drive
integration can be harnessed. Other flagship
studies will mainly focus on fragile states, Cape
Verde’s success story, and infrastructure
financing. The list of envisaged knowledge
products appears in Annex 2.
4.2.7 Deliverables and Targets
In line with the two-step process for selecting
multinational operations for financing under
this RISP (see Annex 8), consultations with
regional stakeholders led to the priority
multinational operations indicated in Annex 2.
Based on priority projects, Annex 1 presents
the results matrix of this RISP, which contains
the key deliverables (outcomes, outputs, and
project) targeted under this RISP.
4.3 Monitoring and Evaluation
4.3.1 The Bank and the ECOWAS and
WAEMU Commissions will jointly monitor
and evaluate implementation of the strategy
defined in this RISP. The ECOWAS
Commission recently established a Monitoring
and Evaluation Unit, but this unit needs to be
strengthened. The effectiveness of the RISP and
of the Bank’s interventions will be monitored
based on the Bank core sector indicators for
regional integration,36
issued in June 2010 as
well as the regional integration indicators
currently being developed by ONRI and which
focus on key results that can be influenced by
the interventions and how they will contribute
to the desired outcome of regional integration
(employment and growth). The Bank will
monitor (i) activity indicators; (ii) outcome
36 These indicators include: (i) the number and length (in km) of cross-
border roads and/or railways constructed or rehabilitated; (ii) the
number and length (in km) of cross-border transmission lines
constructed or rehabilitated; (iii) the number of new telecommunication
networks that serve more than one country as a result of projects
undertaken under the strategy; and (iv) time required to clear a truck at
a border within the region (in minutes).
19
indicators; and (iii) impact indicators. The
indicative results matrix in Annex 1 details
indicators to monitor and to measure the
outputs and outcomes targeted in this RISP.
4.4 Regional and Country Dialogue Issues
4.4.1 Country dialogue. At the national level,
the Bank will discuss ways to: (i) strengthen the
contribution of regional integration to economic
growth and job creation in West Africa,
including in the important manufacturing sector
(ii) speed up policy and institutional actions on
trade integration; (iii) remove barriers to the
interstate transit of goods and services; (iv)
reflect the regional agenda in national
development plans; and (v) strengthen
ownership by prioritizing national components
of regional operations and improve their
implementation, and (vi) improve the business
environment.
4.4.2 Regional dialogue. Consistent with the
country dialogue, the Bank will stress the need
to deliver on the integration agenda in a way
that lead to job creation and strengthens growth
prospects in the region, including in the
manufacturing sector. To that effect, the Bank
will harness the rich and extensive potential of
ESWs under this RISP to conduct sustained
dialogue on integration challenges37
, with an
emphasis on (i) improving the regional business
environment, and (ii) the need to better focus
integration efforts by addressing the risk of
mission creep.
4.4.3 The RISP will be widely disseminated
among stakeholders. High level dialogue events
devoted to the region’s integration agenda and
the RISP’s contribution to it will be organized
by the Bank and ECOWAS/WAEMU on the
occasions of Summits, Ministerial meetings, or
other events. Bank Group Executive Directors,
Senior Management, as well as development
partners will attend.
4.4.4 Another critical area of dialogue will be
the rationalization of West Africa’s regional
integration institutions.38
Rationalization is a
37
/ Cost and benefits of regional integration, enabling business
environment, and regional industrial development plan. 38 Cf. “Assessing Regional Integration in Africa II,” UNECA 2006.
sensitive and difficult endeavor, as evidenced
by the unsuccessful Africa-wide crusade of the
AU in the mi-2000s. The case for
rationalization is more compelling in West
Africa, given the quasi-symmetric purposes and
structures of ECOWAS and WAEMU. To
eliminate overlapping mandates and programs
and improve the effective use of resources, the
dialogue will therefore focus on better
coordination among West African RECs, with a
view towards further strengthening policy
convergence and synergies among them in the
long run.
4.5 Potential Risks and Mitigation
Measures
4.5.1 The potential risks to the strategy are:
(i) Continued weak commitment of member
states to implementing the trade integration and
inter-country transit protocols. The root causes
are weak capacity, different administrative
regimes, and the inertia factor induced by the
apparent antagonism between national
independence and regional interdependence.
Recent efforts by the ECOWAS to improve
implementation by member states of the
regional integration measures, which include
strengthened presence of the ECOWAS in
member states through the ECOWAS Units, the
implementation of joint border posts, and the
creation of the observatory of bad practices to
monitor, report and shame cases of weak
implementation, help mitigate this risk.
Capacity building efforts by donors, including
the Bank, will also contribute towards
mitigating this risk.
(ii) Duality and multiplicity of the integration
architecture, weak capacity, and poor
implementation of regional operations.
Achieving effective coordination and
rationalization will alleviate the fundamental
challenges of multiple institutions and duality
of the ECOWAS and WAEMU blocks. Weak
capacity will be addressed through capacity
building at the national and regional levels. To
improve the implementation of multinational
projects, which tend to be complex, quality-at-
entry standards will be adhered to. Proactive
coordination among donors, as well as tailored
implementation schemes, could also improve
20
the development effectiveness of regional
operations;
(iii) Political fragility. The region remains
fragile, and reversals cannot be ruled out, as
evidenced by the recent political crisis in Côte
d’Ivoire. Going forward, the commitment of
regional leaders and institutions to preserve,
maintain and promote peace and stability in the
region, and of the international community to
support these regional efforts, help mitigate the
risks of protracted political instability in West
Africa. These developments augur well for
strengthened regional integration efforts in
West Africa.
V. MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY
5.1 Institutional Arrangements
West African countries and RECs will
implement the RISP, in close collaboration
with the Bank’s Regional and Sector
Departments. RECs will oversee and coordinate
regional aspects, in consultation with national
authorities. New Country Strategy Papers will
be informed by and aligned with the RISP on
regional integration issues.
5.2 Partnerships
5.2.1 The Bank will fully participate in the
partnership frameworks involving the
ECOWAS Commission, the WAEMU
Commission, the World Bank, the EU, and
bilateral development partners, including in the
evolving DFID and Finland-funded SWARIP.
The objectives of the partnership framework
are to (i) build the capacity of the
Commissions; (ii) improve the preparation and
coordination of regional transport infrastructure
and trade facilitation programs; (iii) expand
knowledge and policy dialogue on inclusive
regional integration and trade; and (iv) improve
the delivery and coordination of regional aid for
trade. Discussions are underway on the
modalities of the Bank’s participation under
this framework.
5.2.2 Furthermore, the Bank will encourage
ECOWAS to strengthen cooperation with the
BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China
and, South Africa), and seek their participation
(possibly through PPPs) in the financing of
infrastructure, trade and private sector
development.
5.3 Internal Monitoring and Evaluation
Mechanisms
5.3.1 The Bank’s Regional Departments for
West Africa A and B (ORWA and ORWB)
together with the Regional Integration and
Trade Department (ONRI) will jointly be the
Bank’s focal points for monitoring
implementation of the RISP, with the active
support of the field offices. There will be
quarterly meetings to discuss progress. In
addition, periodic joint reviews with ECOWAS
and WAEMU will be conducted. A mid-term
progress report will be prepared by the Bank in
2013, in collaboration with regional
stakeholders, to adjust and accommodate the
results of on-going studies and dialogue.
5.3.2 Field offices will play a key role in (i)
ensuring quality implementation of regional
projects through enhanced supervision, (ii)
increasing the level of dialogue with regional
and country authorities towards proactively
identifying issues requiring attention and
engineering Bank response. Towards this end,
ONRI has posted a staff at NGFO, close to the
ECOWAS commission, a key player in the
implementation of the strategy, with a view
towards strengthening implementation of this
RISP.
VI. CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
6.1. Conclusion. The quest for regional
integration has long featured high among the
aspirations of the West African people and their
governments. To support these efforts, this
RISP has proposed a Bank strategy centered
around linking Regional Markets and Capacity
Building for effective implementation of the
regional integration agenda.
6.2 Recommendation. The Boards are
requested to approve the strategy proposed in
the RISP for the ECOWAS region over the
period 2011-2015.
i
Annex 1: Indicative Results Matrix of the Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa Regional
integration
objectives
Constraints to achieving
regional integration
objectives
Final Outputs Final Outcomes Mid-term Outputs Mid-term outcomes Indicative program of new
operations (2011-2015) and
ongoing projects (expected at the end of RISP period in 2015) (expected at mid-term of RISP period in 2013)
Pillar I: Linking Regional Markets
Enhance the
linkage of
regional
markets,
creating an
open and
seamless
regional
market with
opportunities
for rapid and
sustained
regional
growth, job
creation, and
poverty
reduction
(i) Investments in roads corridors and transport and trade facilitation
Poor and inadequate
national and regional
transport infrastructure;
Absence of maintenance
culture –dilapidated
transport infrastructure,
particularly roads.
Impediments to cross-
border transit.
Lomé-Cotonou (77.5 km)
on the Abidjan-Lagos
Corridor rehabilitated by
2014;
410 km on the Lomé –
Ouagadougou Corridor
rehabilitated by 2015;
Manantali-Tambanga (100
km) and Babaroto-Mahina
(6km) of the integrated
multimodal OMVS System
rehabilitated
The Trans-Gambia bridge
on the Dakar-Lagos
corridor is constructed by
2016
The Hillacondji joint border
posts is constructed by
2014;
Users of the rehabilitated
corridors are sensitized to
trade facilitation measures
The Trans-Gambia joint
border posts is constructed
by 2016
Support provided to
regional training programs
& institutions for trade
facilitation and standards.
Creation of 1475 jobs in
road infrastructure
development works (1250
and 225 jobs on the Lomé –
Ouagadougou and Lome-
Cotonou corridors works
respectively)
Creation of about 200 jobs
during construction of the
Trans-Gambia Bridge by
2016.
Travel time on the
Atakpame-Kara road
reduced from 12 days in
2011 to 8 days in 2015
Travel time between Pahou
– Hillacondji on the
Abidjan-Lagos corridor
road reduced from 115mn
in 2010 to 55 mn in 2014
Transit time on the Trans-
Gambian Corridor reduced
from 34mn before the
bridge to 1.5 in 2016 mn
after the bridge.
Construction works on the
Lomé-Cotonou, the Lomé –
Ouagadougou, and the
Trans-Gambia bridge have
Commenced and are on-
going
About 750 jobs created in
the road infrastructure
development related to
Lomé-Cotonou, the Lomé –
Ouagadougou, and the
Trans-Gambia bridge
works.
Rehabilitation and transport
facilitation of the Lomé-
Ouagadougou Corridor
Project
Rehabilitation of the Lomé-
Cotonou Road and transport
facilitation on the Abidjan-
Lagos Corridor Project
OMVS Integrated
Multimodal Transport
System Project
Trans-Gambia Bridge on
the Dakar - Lagos Corridor
Guinea-Guinea Bissau:
Boke-Quebo Road Project
Regionally unconnected and
inefficient railway systems
Dialogue with stakeholders
to ensure timely completion
of the on-going EU-
financed detailed
engineering design studies
for the prioritized B2 and
B1 links.
High-Level consultations
held with potential donors
Progress on resource
mobilization for the
railways sector in West
Africa
Draft reports of the EU-
funded detailed engineering
design studies available
Progress on consultations
with donors for the
mobilization of resources
for the railways sector
None
ii
Regional
integration
objectives
Constraints to achieving
regional integration
objectives
Final Outputs Final Outcomes Mid-term Outputs Mid-term outcomes Indicative program of new
operations (2011-2015) and
ongoing projects (expected at the end of RISP period in 2015) (expected at mid-term of RISP period in 2013)
on investments in railways
in West Africa.
(ii) Regional energy production and markets integration
Deficiency in clean energy
supply;
Inadequate integration of
regional energy markets
Construction of the 240
MW hydroelectric dam and
plant at Kaléta in Guinea
(OMVG energy Project),
Construction of 1700
kilometers of high tension
transmission lines (OMVG
Project)
1360 km of 225 kV line
interconnecting Cote
d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra
Leone and Guinea (CLSG)
constructed in 2015
Construction of a 742 km
transmission line, three new
substations, and extension
works for the 225 kV
incoming and outgoing
transmission lines between
Ghana-Burkina-Faso, and
Mali..
About 4400 and 1400 direct
and indirect jobs
respectively are created
during construction phase
of the OMVG energy
project, and 250 permanent
jobs and 350 indirect jobs
created during exploitation
of the plant from 2016
Average number of
blackouts in the OMVG
countries reduced from 600
to between 150 and 200 by
2016.
The costs of electricity
reduced to Euro 11,5 cents
by 2016 from Euro 15 cents
in 2016 in OMVG
Countries
5000 jobs during
implementation and 450
permanent jobs after
commissioning of the
CLSG Project
Electricity access rate in
CLSG increased from 9% in
2010 and 13% in 2015 on
average
Construction works on the
OMVG, CLSG projects
Commenced and are on-
going.
About 2000 and 500 direct
and indirect jobs
respectively are created
during construction phase
of the OMVG energy
project,
5000 jobs created during
implementation of the
CLSG Project
Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra
Leone-Guinée,
Interconnexion Power
Project ;
OMVG energy program 1.
Gambia-Guinée-Guinéa-
Bissau-Senegal ; 2.
Hydroelectric sites at Kaleta
(240 MW) and
Sambangalou (128 MW) ;
Han (Ghana) – Bobo
Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) –
Sikasso (Mali) – Bamako
(Mali))- Interconnection
power project
Guinea-Mali –
Interconnexion Power
Project.
Pillar II: Capacity building for effective implementation of regional integration agenda
Strengthen
regional
capacity to
advance the
regional
integration
agenda
(i) Capacity building for financial sector integration
Inadequate capacity to
carry out the payments
systems integration project
of the WAMZ
Real Time Gross
Settlement, Automated
Clearing House, Automated
Check Processing, and
Scriptless Securities
settlement systems installed
in the Gambia, Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra-Leone
Progress on financial and
monetary integration within
WAMZ as measured by:
Same day funds transfers
within WAMZ achieved.
Volume of high value funds
transfers in the Gambia,
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra-
Installation of the Real
Time Gross Settlement,
Automated Clearing House,
Automated Check
Processing, and Scriptless
Securities Settlement
systems, in the Gambia,
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra-
Not applicable. WAMZ Payment System
Development Project (the
Gambia, Guinea, Liberia,
and Sierra Leone).
iii
Regional
integration
objectives
Constraints to achieving
regional integration
objectives
Final Outputs Final Outcomes Mid-term Outputs Mid-term outcomes Indicative program of new
operations (2011-2015) and
ongoing projects (expected at the end of RISP period in 2015) (expected at mid-term of RISP period in 2013)
to support financial and
monetary integration in the
WAMZ.
Leone increases by 45%
from 2007 level
Leone about 90% complete.
(ii) Capacity building for effective policy and regional projects implementation of
Slow process of
development and
implementation of regional
energy projects
Capacity building provided
to the WAPP in the context
of the CLSG
interconnection project
Efficient implementation of
the WAPP priority projects Training and consultancy
services provided to WAPP
Improvement in implementation of WAPP priority projects
Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra
Leone-Guinée,
Interconnexion Power
Project.
(iii) Support to Regional Centers of Excellence
Weak regional capacity to
undertake research and
copy/adapt/develop science
and technology;
Absence of regional SPS
standards;
Lack of harmonized
regional systems;
Skills shortage for
implementation of regional
projects.
Support provided to
strengthen ECOWAS
identified centers of
excellence.
Use of science and
technology to develop other
sectors, social
infrastructure, industry,
environment and climate
change, makes progress in
ECOWAS;
Strengthened culture of
science and technology in
the region;
Agents of regional
integration trained with
shared approach on
integration;
Enhanced capacity in
technological skills for
economic transformation.
Idem as final outputs. Idem as final outcomes. Regional Centres of
Excellence dealing with
infrastructure and public
governance.
(iv) Statistical support to ECOWAS Institutions
Weak institutional structure
and capacity in West Africa
to meet the regional
statistical responsibilities.
Support provided to
national and regional
statistical structures in line
with the Bank Group’s
Program for Building
Statistical Capacity in
RMCs.
See Bank Group’s Program
for Building Statistical
Capacity in RMCs.
Bank Group’s Program for
Building Statistical
Capacity in RMCs.
Bank Group’s Program for
Building Statistical
Capacity in RMCs
Bank Group’s Program for
Building Statistical
Capacity in RMCs.
iv
Annex 2: Indicative Program of Regional Operations and Economic and Sector Work for 2011-2015
Project Name Countries Sectors Institution Estimated Cost
PROJECTS
1 Rehabilitation of the Lomé - Cotonou Road
and Transport Facilitation on the Abidjan-
Lagos Corridor Project
Benin – Togo Road Transport ECOWAS UA 150 million
2 Construction of the Trans-Gambia Bridge and
Transport Facilitation on the Trans-Gambian
Corridor
Gambia - Senegal Road Transport ECOWAS UA 90 million
3 Boke-Kebo Road Rehabilitation Project Guinea-Guinea-Bissau Road Transport ECOWAS UA 60 million
4 Rehabilitation and Transport Facilitation of
the Lomé - Ouagadougou Corridor
Burkina-Faso - Togo Road Transport ECOWAS/WAEMU UA 252 million
5 Integrated System of Multimodal Transport Guinea-Mali - Mauritania- Senegal Transport OMVS UA 40 million
6 Cote-d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra-Leone-Guinea
Power Interconnection Project
Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinée Energy WAPP UA 90 million
7 OMVG Energy Project, Phase I Gambia-Guinea-Guinea-Bissau-Sénégal Energy (production) OMVG UA 120 million
8 Ghana-Burkina-Faso-Mali Power
Interconnection Project
Ghana – Burkina-Faso –MaliMali Energy ECOWAS/WAEMU/
WAPP
UA 70 million
9 FOMI Power Interconnection Project Guinea-Mali Energy ECOWAS/WAEMU/
WAPP
€ 165 million
10 Adjaralla Hydroelectric Development Project Benin- Togo Energy (production) WAPP € 247 million
11 Emergency Power Supply Security Plan
(400MW Plan at Maria Gleta in Benin,
400MW Plan in Aboadze in Ghana and
150MW Plan in OMVS System)
WAPP Countries Energy (production) WAPP (To be
implemented through
SPC)
CAPACITY BUILDING
1 Strengthening ECOWAS/WAEMU
Commission Capacity
ECOWAS-WAEMU Capacity Building ECOWAS/WAEMU UA 30 million
2 Program for Building Statistical Capacity in
RMCs
All RMCs Capacity Building ECOWAS/WAEMU UA 40 million
ECONOMIC AND SECTOR WORK BEING CARRIED OUT
1 A Role for Senegal in Regional Integration Senegal Multisector
(Flagship)
Japan Trust Fund
2 Study on Regional Integration and Stability:
Integrated Infrastructure Action Plans for
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Guinea
Bissau
Infrastructure
(Flagship)
Canadian Trust Fund
v
Project Name Countries Sectors Institution Estimated Cost Fragile States
3 Flagship Report- Infrastructure Nigeria Infrastructure
(Flagship)
Japan Trust Fund
4 A Regional Success Story: The Case of Cape
Verde
Cape-Verde Multisector
(Flagship)
Japan Trust Fund
5 Study for the Creation of the ECOWAS Fund
for the Development of Transport and
Energy (FODETE)
ECOWAS Energy ECOWAS/WAEMU US$ 700,000
ECONOMIC AND SECTOR WORK CARRIED OUT TO INFORM PREPARATION OF THE RISP
1 Trade, regional Integration and Economic
Development in the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS)
ECOWAS Countries Trade ECOWAS USD 331,890
(Japanese Trust
Fund)
2 A Study of the Private Sector, Economic
Development and Regional Integration in the
ECOWAS Region
ECOWAS Countries Private Sector ECOWAS
3 Cooperative Management and Development
of the Trans-boundary water Basins to
Facilitate Integration and Economic
Development in the ECOWAS Region
ECOWAS Countries Water ECOWAS
4 Energy and Power Infrastructure to Facilitate
Regional Integration in the ECOWAS
Regional
ECOWAS Countries Energy ECOWAS
5 Facilitating Regional Integration and
Economic Development in the ECOWAS
Region Through Information and
Communications Technology (ITC)
ECOWAS Countries ITC ECOWAS
6 Review of West Africa Ports ECOWAS Countries Ports/Transport ECOWAS
7 Transport Corridors to Facilitate Interregional
Trade and Exports in the ECOWAS Region
ECOWAS Countries Transport ECOWAS
8 The Political and Macroeconomic Contexts
of Regional Integration in West Africa
ECOWAS Countries Macro-Economy ECOWAS
vi
Annex 3: West Africa Macro-Economic Indicators
Annex 3.a
Annex 3.b
Region / Country 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Average
2000-09
West Africa 23.1 21.3 16.1 17.6 22.9 24.3 38.2 32.5 33.8 28.2 25.8
Benin 12.2 13.9 8.8 11.2 11.7 14.2 12.4 11.5 12.4 14.9 12.3
Burkina Faso 4.5 2.6 6.1 8.5 5.0 8.8 7.7 11.2 7.2 7.8 6.9
Cape Verde 20.0 21.2 24.8 20.0 25.3 38.0 38.3 42.2 35.7 30.3 29.6
Cote d'Ivoire 8.0 10.6 16.8 12.3 12.4 10.0 12.1 8.0 12.6 35.9 13.8
Gambia 14.4 21.6 18.2 14.9 4.0 -6.8 -1.4 -4.5 -2.1 -2.6 5.6
Ghana 15.6 21.3 19.2 21.3 18.4 20.7 20.5 21.8 17.3 17.2 19.3
Guinea 13.3 12.7 10.9 20.8 18.0 19.1 15.0 5.4 5.2 5.3 12.6
Guinea Bissau 9.8 -0.8 10.3 12.3 19.0 18.6 -0.3 16.5 8.9 27.4 12.2
Liberia ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Mali 12.7 16.6 15.7 18.3 13.1 13.6 16.8 13.3 12.2 11.5 14.4
Niger 5.7 7.9 5.2 8.9 7.3 14.2 15.0 15.4 16.0 14.9 11.0
Nigeria 32.7 28.7 17.7 19.6 29.1 29.4 49.1 41.6 43.2 33.2 32.4
Senegal 15.0 15.5 13.3 19.8 19.9 20.8 18.7 19.1 17.9 15.7 17.6
Sierra Leone -0.8 0.4 6.9 9.2 4.8 10.0 11.8 9.7 5.7 6.0 6.4
Togo 2.4 2.7 7.3 6.7 8.2 19.6 9.9 8.2 5.6 10.2 8.1
Source:ADB Statistics Department
Gross National Savings (% of GDP)
Table 1: West Africa: Macroeconomic Indicators
Indicators 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Real GDP Growth Rate (%) 4.0 6.5 13.3 7.1 8.0 5.9 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.6 6.7 5.9 6.8 Inflation (%) 6.4 14.4 9.7 11.1 10.9 14.3 7.4 5.3 11.2 10.3 10.4 9.2 7.3 Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) 2.0 -4.1 -3.3 -1.2 3.5 4.9 5.7 -1.2 1.7 -8.0 -6.1 -2.0 -1.2 Real Export Growth (%) 13.0 -3.1 -6.5 20.7 5.2 -2.5 -1.5 2.3 -5.0 9.3 -1.9 6.6 6.7 Trade Balance (% of GDP) 16.0 9.5 2.4 6.1 10.1 11.4 13.8 12.0 11.6 9.0 13.5 14.7 14.2 Current Account (% of GDP) 4.1 0.3 -8.1 -4.4 0.9 2.1 15.7 9.3 6.9 6.4 7.0 10.0 9.7 Terms of Trade (%) 14.8 -4.4 5.5 1.1 4.3 16.0 6.2 0.6 14.2 -14.5 11.6 2.2 2.1 Total External Debt (% of GDP) 94.1 95.5 76.9 69.8 59.2 40.4 21.3 18.9 15.6 18.6 15.4 14.2 13.3 Debt Service (% of Exports) 9.1 10.5 13.4 13.1 11.1 28.5 25.7 4.1 3.6 4.8 4.3 2.5 4.2 Source: 2010 Estimates, 2011 and 2012 projections, AfDB Statistics Department, African Economic Outlook; 2000-2009, AfDB Statistics Department,UNCTAD and IMF.
Selected Macroeconomic Indicators
vii
Annex 3.c
Annex 3.d
Region / Country 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Average
2000-09
West Africa 18.8 21.0 24.1 22.2 21.4 21.9 22.1 22.5 23.3 25.2 22.2
Benin 18.7 19.7 18.5 20.3 20.7 18.2 20.6 20.7 20.5 20.5 20
Burkina Faso 17.9 13.9 8.4 12.2 9.6 16.2 14.2 15.7 23.0 20.2 15
Cape Verde 34.6 31.7 35.8 31.0 39.5 41.0 43.0 51.4 48.2 46.3 40
Cote d'Ivoire 10.8 11.2 10.1 10.1 10.8 9.7 9.3 8.7 10.1 12.5 10
Gambia 17.3 24.9 21.0 19.5 27.1 25.9 23.9 24.9 27.2 34.7 25
Ghana 24.0 26.6 19.7 22.9 28.4 29.0 33.3 33.8 35.9 29.7 28
Guinea 13.6 13.8 19.2 21.6 24.5 25.3 23.2 19.9 21.9 18.0 20
Guinea Bissau 20.1 24.1 22.2 22.9 25.4 25.4 24.2 24.3 24.8 29.8 24
Liberia 23.5 28.6 22.0 38.2 47.8 53.4 70.5 69.8 71.7 69.9 50
Mali 19.9 24.4 16.0 26.0 22.0 22.0 20.4 21.6 20.2 18.8 21
Niger 13.9 15.2 16.1 16.3 14.6 22.7 23.6 23.1 29.2 29.6 20
Nigeria 20.4 24.0 30.3 25.3 23.2 22.8 22.6 23.0 23.5 27.0 24
Senegal 20.5 18.4 17.2 22.3 21.6 25.2 25.5 26.8 26.9 26.6 23
Sierra Leone 8.0 6.7 8.9 14.3 10.8 17.4 15.5 13.5 13.5 12.6 12
Togo 15.9 16.2 16.7 15.4 15.4 16.9 17.4 14.6 17.6 18.3 16.4
Source:ADB Statistics Department
Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP)
Region / Country 2000 2001 2002 20003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Average
2000-09
West Africa 351 340 407 468 561 656 781 873 1,027 867 633
Benin 354 364 395 484 533 554 579 657 767 718 540
Burkina Faso 224 232 261 337 379 394 406 459 536 531 376
Cape Verde 1,301 1,261 1,367 1,762 1,968 2,106 2,481 3,046 3,474 3,831 2,260
Cote d'Ivoire 603 597 636 745 822 850 883 984 1,135 1,034 829
Gambia 323 310 266 256 271 302 323 398 445 366 326
Ghana 255 266 301 364 414 490 560 643 690 643 463
Guinea 357 331 339 388 398 319 305 432 460 439 377
Guinea Bissau 166 160 157 178 198 205 211 248 291 260 207
Liberia 234 246 211 151 143 136 127 157 161 166 173
Mali 251 281 290 375 432 463 506 576 686 680 454
Niger 151 159 175 217 229 254 268 304 364 351 247
Nigeria 372 345 451 504 639 797 1,008 1,112 1,330 1,065 762
Senegal 473 480 512 641 731 770 801 949 1,083 952 739
Sierra Leone 150 184 206 209 218 238 270 307 351 361 250
Togo 246 247 266 294 332 352 361 402 493 467 346
Source:ADB Statistics Department
Gross Domestic Product per Capita (US$)
viii
Annex 3.e
Annex 3.f
Indicators 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Benin 55.9 54.0 47.8 36.5 33.8 37.3 11.6 12.7 15.7 17.9 20.8 20.5 20.7
Burkina Faso 62.6 49.3 52.8 42.5 43.4 38.7 20.0 19.7 19.8 23.1 27.0 24.1 25.5
Cape Verde 63.9 71.5 82.1 81.1 83.2 76.9 71.5 67.3 61.1 65.3 65.0 65.7 67.6
Cote d'Ivoire 178.3 175.3 151.2 133.8 120.5 107.5 107.3 96.6 79.6 77.0 75.0 70.4 67.7
Gambia 76.3 81.2 99.1 104.8 101.5 99.0 101.7 36.2 31.7 34.2 32.5 30.7 29.5
Ghana 145.4 135.1 118.4 115.3 87.8 72.0 31.4 39.2 38.7 50.5 48.0 43.0 43.4
Guinea 104.8 105.7 103.2 97.7 91.5 109.5 108.1 78.3 68.9 68.8 67.4 58.6 22.6
Guinea Bissau 205.7 194.7 23.1 21.8 19.6 18.0 17.7 14.9 12.3 12.7 1.9 1.9 1.9
Liberia 781.0 823.4 808.7 1,083.4 970.7 855.4 783.7 427.1 231.6 188.9 11.6 10.8 11.4
Mali 132.5 112.2 108.5 71.3 69.0 70.9 32.0 30.4 32.8 36.4 43.1 43.4 45.5
Niger 88.8 85.1 85.8 69.9 58.9 51.8 15.8 15.9 14.0 15.8 17.2 18.9 18.8
Nigeria 65.2 67.3 52.4 48.7 40.9 18.2 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.3
Senegal 70.6 68.2 72.7 61.0 52.8 45.6 24.0 24.0 22.3 29.5 30.3 29.3 29.0
Sierra Leone 199.5 184.0 157.6 165.3 159.6 144.4 109.9 31.8 31.1 34.1 29.3 19.7 19.9
Togo 9.6 102.1 100.4 101.6 93.1 77.1 84.8 83.8 56.3 55.0 12.6 14.0 14.1
Africa 54.4 54.6 55.0 48.7 42.5 33.5 25.6 23.8 21.1 23.6 20.2 20.3 20.2
West Africa 94.1 95.5 76.9 69.8 59.2 40.4 21.3 18.9 15.6 18.6 15.4 14.2 13.3
Source: ADB Statistics Department,April 2011.
Total External Debt (% of GDP)
Indicators 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Benin 4.9 6.2 4.4 3.9 3.1 2.9 3.8 4.6 5.0 2.7 2.1 2.5 3.7
Burkina Faso 1.9 7.1 4.7 8.0 4.6 8.7 5.5 3.6 5.2 3.2 5.7 6.5 6.2
Cape Verde 10.0 6.1 5.3 4.7 4.3 6.5 10.8 8.6 6.2 3.6 5.3 5.6 6.1
Cote d'Ivoire -2.3 0.0 -1.4 -1.6 1.6 1.8 0.7 1.6 2.3 3.7 2.0 -7.3 5.9
Gambia 5.5 5.8 -3.2 6.9 7.0 5.1 6.5 6.0 6.3 6.7 5.4 5.6 5.6
Ghana 3.8 4.2 4.5 5.2 5.6 5.9 6.4 6.5 8.4 4.7 5.9 12.0 11.0
Guinea -1.9 3.7 5.2 1.2 2.3 3.0 2.5 1.8 4.9 -0.3 1.6 4.6 5.5
Guinea Bissau 7.8 0.2 -7.1 -0.6 2.2 3.5 0.6 2.7 3.2 3.0 3.6 4.5 4.8
Liberia 36.1 2.9 3.7 -31.3 2.6 5.3 7.8 9.4 7.1 4.6 6.1 7.3 8.9
Mali -3.8 11.2 4.4 7.7 2.3 6.1 5.3 4.3 5.0 4.5 4.5 5.4 5.3
Niger -2.6 7.4 5.3 7.7 -0.8 7.2 5.8 3.4 9.3 -1.2 5.5 4.9 11.5
Nigeria 6.3 8.2 21.2 9.6 10.5 6.5 6.0 6.4 6.0 7.0 8.1 6.9 6.7
Senegal 3.2 4.6 0.7 6.7 5.9 5.6 2.3 4.7 3.2 2.2 3.8 4.2 5.0
Sierra Leone 3.8 18.2 27.4 9.5 7.4 7.3 7.4 6.4 5.5 3.2 4.5 5.1 6.0
Togo -0.9 -1.3 -1.3 4.8 2.5 1.2 3.9 2.1 2.4 3.2 3.4 3.7 4.0
Africa 4.3 4.2 5.4 5.0 6.1 5.9 6.2 6.5 5.5 3.1 4.9 3.7 5.8
West Africa 4.0 6.5 13.3 7.1 8.0 5.9 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.6 6.7 5.9 6.8
Source: ADB Statistics Department,April 2011.
Real GDP Growth Rate (%)
6
ix
Annex 3.g
Indicators 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Benin -1.7 -1.4 -2.3 -2.0 -1.0 -2.4 -0.5 0.2 -1.7 -4.2 -2.6 -2.5 -1.6
Burkina Faso -3.8 -4.4 -4.8 -3.0 -4.8 -5.3 15.9 -5.7 -4.4 -3.5 -4.5 -4.4 -5.1
Cape Verde -7.4 -5.2 -3.0 -4.0 -4.7 -4.1 -5.2 -1.3 -1.4 -6.3 -13.7 -11.3 -8.9
Cote d'Ivoire -1.2 0.9 -1.5 -2.6 -0.6 -0.8 -0.4 -1.0 -0.6 -1.6 -2.5 -1.9 -3.4
Gambia -0.7 -13.9 -4.5 -4.7 -3.9 -6.3 -5.4 0.1 -1.7 -3.0 -2.7 -2.4 -1.5
Ghana -7.9 -7.7 -6.8 -4.4 -3.5 -1.6 -7.1 -8.7 -14.0 -7.6 -7.9 -7.7 -5.0
Guinea -3.4 -3.0 -4.8 -5.0 -5.4 -0.9 -0.3 0.5 -1.2 -8.4 -12.0 -10.8 -9.3
Guinea Bissau -6.9 -9.8 -10.1 -12.3 -7.7 -6.0 -4.5 -5.4 -3.8 2.8 -0.2 -2.0 -1.2
Liberia 0.3 -0.5 -1.1 0.5 -0.4 0.8 2.1 3.8 1.2 -1.6 1.3 -1.9 -2.2
Mali -3.0 -3.2 -3.8 -0.7 -4.2 -4.7 30.4 -5.2 -2.2 -4.2 -4.1 -4.1 -3.9
Niger -3.8 -3.5 -3.0 -2.8 -3.1 -2.1 40.3 -0.9 1.4 -6.6 -3.2 -3.6 -1.8
Nigeria 5.9 -5.3 -3.3 … 8.1 9.4 7.0 -0.4 4.6 -10.4 -6.8 -0.7 0.3
Senegal 0.5 -2.2 -0.6 -1.6 -2.6 -3.2 -6.0 -3.8 -4.8 -5.2 -6.3 -6.9 -6.3
Sierra Leone -9.3 -8.2 -8.3 -5.6 -2.5 -1.7 9.3 25.2 -4.7 -3.2 -4.6 -5.9 -5.3
Togo -4.7 -0.2 -0.4 2.5 0.9 -2.9 -4.2 0.4 -0.2 -5.5 -5.8 -5.6 -5.2
Africa 0.2 -2.3 -2.5 -1.9 0.0 2.5 4.8 1.9 2.8 -5.2 -3.3 -3.9 -3.2
West Africa 2.0 -4.1 -3.3 -1.2 3.5 4.9 5.7 -1.2 1.7 -8.0 -6.1 -2.0 -1.2
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP)
6
x
Annex 4: ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Program Convergence Criteria
1. Generally, the WAEMU convergence criteria are stricter than those of ECOWAS or WAMZ particularly
for those criteria which are common to all three groupings such as the fiscal balance as a percentage of
GDP and the price inflation criteria. Consequently, in the analysis that follows we will focus on the four
primary criteria for ECOWAS. In terms of these four criteria, a number of region-wide trends seem to
emerge from available information.
2. Over time, performance in most of the primary convergence criteria has been generally weak. However,
performance with respect to the Central Bank financing of fiscal deficit criterion has been impressive.
The WAEMU countries continued to maintain a zero-financing stance while most of the WAMZ
countries have consistently met the target. With regards to the other three primary criteria, performance
has been mixed. Seven of the fifteen ECOWAS countries have performed relatively well with respect to
the budget deficit/GDP ratio criterion while the others have consistently fallen short of the criterion.39
With respect to the Inflation criterion a general conclusion that can be drawn from the observed regional
trend that has emerged is that all while all the WAEMU countries and Cape Verde have consistently met
this criterion (except for a few slippages), all the WAMZ countries have consistently fallen short of this
criterion. Similarly, while the WAEMU countries and Nigeria consistently met the accumulation of gross
external reverses criterion, the rest of the WAMZ countries plus Cape Verde consistently fell short of the
target. Going forward, enhanced performance will be crucial for monetary and financial integration as
well as the ability of the region to attract and retain FDI.
Macroeconomic Convergence Program for West Africa WAEMU WAMZ ECOWAS
Criteria Targets Criteria Targets Criteria Target
Primary Criteria Fiscal Balance/GDP ≥0 % Fiscal balance/GDP ≥ -4 % Fiscal balance/GDP ≥ -4 %
Price inflation ≤ 3 % Inflation Rate (end-
period) ≤ 10 %
Inflation Rate (end-
period) ≤ 5 %
Total Debt/GDP ≤ 70 % Gross Reserves in
Months of Imports ≥ 3 months
Gross Reserves in
Months of Imports ≥ 6 months
Change in Domestic
Arrears ≤ 0
Central Bank financing
of budget deficit in
relation to previous
year’s tax revenue
≤ 10 %
Central Bank financing
of budget deficit in
relation to previous
year’s tax revenue
≤ 10 %
Change in External
Arrears ≤ 0
Secondary Criteria
Wages and Salaries ≤ 35 % Change in Domestic
Arrears
≤ 0 by 2003 Change in Domestic
Arrears ≤ 0 by 2003
Current Account
balance, excl. grants ≥-5 %
Ratio of Tax Revenue
to GDP
≥ 20 % Ratio of Tax Revenue to
GDP ≥ 20 %
Fiscal Revenue/GDP ≥ 17 % Wage bill/Tax Revenue ≤ 35 % Wage bill/Tax Revenue ≤ 35 %
Capital Expenditure
domestically
financed/fiscal rev
≥ 20 %
Domestically Financed
Investment/Domestic
revenue
> 20 Domestically Financed
Investment/Domestic
revenue
> 20
Nominal Exchange
Rate
Within +/- 15%
of WAMZ-
ERM central
rate
Nominal Exchange Rate Stable
Exchange Rates
Real Interest Rate > 0 Real Interest Rate > 0
39
Those that have consistently fallen short of the criterion include Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger and
Togo.
xi
Annex 5: Comparison of the Logistics Costs and Times for exports
(20 ft container) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Region/Export Procedure
Cost ($) or
Time
(days)
Average Percentage of Total
Ratio
(LL/CC) Coastal
Countries
(CC)
Landlocked
Countries
(LL)
Coastal
Countries
(CC)
Landlocke
d
Countries
(LL)
Western Africa
Total Cost 1,207.4 2,563.0 100 100 2.12
Time 25.3 47.3 100 100 1.87
Inland Transport and Handling Cost
Time
330.1
2.8
1,295.3
10.7
27
11
51
23
3.92
3.88
Sub-Saharan Africa
Total Cost 1,4336.6 2,853.1 100 100 1.99
Time 28.9 67.5 100 100 1.95
Inland Transport and Handling Cost
Time
347.0
3.4
1,976.6
15.0
30
12
69
32
4.52
4.46
Source: Nannette Christ, Michael J. Ferrantino, “Land Transport for Exports: The Effects of Cost, Time, and Uncertainty in Sub-
Saharan Africa, U.S. International Trade Commission, April 2009
Annex 6
Source: AfDB Statistics Department using data from the FAO, 2008
Per Capita CO2
Emissions (metric tons)
Annual Rate of
Deforestation (%)
Annual Internal
Renew. Water
Resources (m3)
Environment and Climate Change
WEST Sub Saharan
xii
ANNEX 7: West Africa Transport Corridors and Examples of Corridors Management
Organizations
Source: ECOWAS
xiii
ANNEX 7 (c’d) : West Africa Transport Corridors and Examples of Corridors Management
Organizations
Examples of Corridors Management Organizations
Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO) was created under the IDA financed HIV/AIDS regional project and
operates as a Regional Monitoring Unit under ECOWAS. It is mandated to set up observatories, facilitate road
transport and transit, and monitor the performance of the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor.
Pro Committees have been established in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia as national rather than regional
organizations to monitor and facilitate international trade and transport in their respective countries. Membership
comprises private and public participation with a mandate to: improve dialogue between different bodies involved in
trade and international transport; define solutions to remove impediments; identify issues affecting cost and efficiency
of international trade; develop measures to reduce cost and improve efficiency of international trade and transport; and
provide a focal point for collection and dissemination of information.
Northern Corridor Transit Transport Authority (NCTTA) was established in 1985 by the Member states of Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo with the mandate to facilitate transit transport by:
promoting development of infrastructure; harmonization of transport and custom policies; and promotion of private
sector participation and investments along the Northern Corridor in East Africa. It is funded by Member states and is
responsible for collecting and disseminating data on the performance of the corridor and facilitating the removal of
impediments to trade and international transport.
Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) is a non-profit organization consisting of Infrastructure Investors,
Service Providers and Stakeholders from Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland who are focused on the
promotion and further development of the Maputo Development Corridor (MDC) as the region's primary logistics
transportation route. It aims to support the development of the Maputo Corridor into a sustainable, highly efficient
transportation route, creating an increasingly favorable climate for investment and new opportunities for communities
along the length and breadth of the Corridor by facilitating the removal of barriers along the corridor, informing the
market of developments along the corridor, and marketing the strategic benefits and opportunities of using the
corridor.
xiv
Annex 8
West Africa RISP Two-Step Selection Process for Regional Operations
During the ADF-12 consultations, deputies suggested that project selection and prioritization process be divided into a Two Step Approach: Step One: RISP After broad consultations, 5-year Regional Integration Strategy Papers containing an indicative pipeline of
operations recommended for Bank Group support are drawn up. The pipeline will consider:
• Operations’ alignment with the Bank’s corporate priorities and the Regional Integration Strategy;
• Operations’ alignment with the priorities of the African Union, NEPAD, RECs and Regional Member
Countries;
• Operations’ impact on regional integration; and ownership of participating countries and entities.
Step Two: The prioritization framework (Scorecard) A. Indicators related to the participating countries
• Portfolio Performance of ROs that the countries participated in previously (based on Annual portfolio
performance ratings);
• Countries’ commitment to regional integration (i.e. trade and trade facilitation policy, economic
convergence, sector investment protocols, implementation of regional programs, projects, protocols,
capacity building programs, institutional structures to support regional integration);
• Country CPIA
B. Indicators related to the project
• Expected development outcomes (contribution to economic growth, regional integration – regional
infrastructure, trade facilitation, competitiveness, common natural resource management and policy
harmonization, and expected environmental and climate change issues); and
• Quality and readiness (advanced stage of preparation, existence of MOU agreement between beneficiary
countries, capability of the executing agency, evidence of support from relevant RECs, and
collaboration/co- financing with development partners).
Source: Regional Operations Selection and Prioritization Framework, October 2010 (Draft)
xv
Annex 9
Nigeria
A Growth Pole in West Africa
Current status and potential: Nigeria aspires to become, by 2020, one of the top 20 leading global
economies. Already, Nigeria is a recognized political and economic power in West Africa. The following
factors strategically position Nigeria as a regional/continental growth pole: (i) with a large population
estimated at 141 million (2008), Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, proving a large market for
goods and services and accounting for 64% of consumers in ECOWAS; (ii) with GDP estimated (2009) at
US$ 184 billion (almost 68% of ECOWAS), Nigeria is the second largest economy in SSA (after South
Africa); (iii) Nigeria is richly endowed with human capital and natural resources, notably oil (Nigeria is
ranked as the sixth largest global exporter of oil and natural gas); (iv) Nigeria is key member of the African
Union, NEPAD and a leading political actor in ECOWAS; (v) the country is pivotal in regional peace
keeping endeavors; (vi) Nigeria has a demonstrably pan African policy orientation (Nigeria has shared its
wealth benevolently (it established the Nigerian Trust Fund and Cooperation Fund to facilitate development
and capacity building in African countries; (vii) it has shown active involvement in regional initiatives: (a)
the West African Gas Pipeline; (b) the West African Power Pool; the Abidjan- Lagos and the Nigeria-
Cameroon road corridors; the Yamoussoukro Accord; Niger River Basin and Lake Chad Authorities; and
the Single Economic Space and Prosperity Agreement of the West African Monetary Zone.
Some notable challenges to Nigeria's leadership: these include: (i) internal insecurity in the oil rich Niger
Delta region; (ii) weak policy environment; (iii) pervasive corruption, with most international corruption
indices (UN, Ibrahim Mohamed and others) naming Nigeria as among most corrupt countries in the world;
(iv) poor and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector where persistent power shortage has
circumscribed development; (v) poor investment climate (a recent World Bank/AfDB joint Economic
Memorandum (EM) finds that Nigeria, relative to comparator countries, ranks poorly on key measures of
business climate).
Annex 10
Potential Energy Projects under the RISP
The Bank will support the implementation of some projects under key priority sub-programs of
WAPP, which include: (a) 225 kV Han (Ghana) – Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) – Sikasso (Mali)
– Bamako (Mali) Power Interconnection Project, under the Inter-zonal Transmission Hub Sub-
program (Burkina Faso and Mali via Ghana, OMVS via Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea via
Côte d’Ivoire) aiming to establish more secure, reliable transmission corridors for transfer of low
cost energy to displace diesel-based sources; (b) the OMVG energy project (Gambia, Guinea,
Guinea Bissau, Senegal) under the OMVG/OMVS Power System Development Subprogram (The
Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal) aiming to interconnect national systems and secure
access to sources of low cost energy to be built on the Gambia River, the Senegal River and the
Konkoure River Basins; (c) the Côte d’Ivoire – Liberia - Sierra Leone – Guinea Power
Interconnection under the Côte d’Ivoire – Liberia - Sierra Leone - Guinea Power System Re-
development Subprogram (Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea) aiming to re-develop the
hydro resources and interconnect Liberia and Sierra Leone into the WAPP System; and (d) the 147
MW Adjarala Hydropower Project (Benin-Togo) under the Strategic Generation Subprogram
aiming to augment the generation capacity within the West Africa sub-region. The Bank will also
help ECOWAS to design policies and mechanism, including special purpose supra national
institutional vehicles, to attract public private partnership (PPP) in financing major regional
projects. As in other sector, the Bank has established effective consultation mechanisms with other
development partners such as the World Bank, the BOAD, the EU, and bilateral partners, in the
energy sector, under the coordination of the WAPP. Most Bank interventions in this sector will be
co-financed with them.
xvi
Annex 11: List of On-Going Bank Group Multinational Projects in West-Africa - (As of February 2011)
Project Name Status Appr.
Date Pl fin date Latest_Disb. Net loan
Disb.
Ratio Age
Agriculture
WARDA: NERICA Dissemination Project OnGo 07/23/2003 12/30/2011 04/15/2010 2 000 000,00 88,23 7,57
Coton Sector Support Project –WAEMU OnGo 11/29/2006 12/31/2013 11/18/2008 2 000 000,00 9,14 4,21
Coton Sector Support Project - Benin OnGo 11/29/2006 12/31/2013 12/02/2010 8 000 000,00 12,08 4,21
Coton Sector Support Project – Burkina-Faso OnGo 11/29/2006 12/31/2013 10/26/2010 10 000 000,00 58,96 4,21
Coton Sector Support Project - Mali OnGo 11/29/2006 12/31/2013 12/15/2010 10 000 000,00 10,00 4,21
INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS – Ghana OnGo 09/22/2004 12/31/2011 10/12/2010 1 680 000,00 38,90 6,40
Program to Fight Migratory Locust OnGo 09/24/2003 12/31/2011 10/22/2008 4 250 000,00 89,60 7,40
INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS - ECOWAS OnGo 12/22/2004 06/30/2011 05/28/2009 2 000 000,00 17,21 6,15
Project for Sustainable Livestock Management OnGo 01/25/2006 12/31/2013 12/27/2010 10 240 000,00 18,90 5,05
Project for Sustainable Livestock Management – Mali OnGo 01/25/2006 12/31/2013 12/24/2010 5 320 000,00 9,47 5,05
Project for Sustainable Livestock Management
Senegal OnGo 01/25/2006 12/31/2013 09/17/2010 4 440 000,00 11,41 5,05
ABN-Program to Fight Sandbank OnGo 09/24/2003 06/30/2011 12/09/2010 12 000 000,00 95,82 7,40
ABN-Program to Fight Sandbank OnGo 09/24/2003 12/31/2010 03/24/2009 3 000 000,00 100,00 7,40
Capacity Building
Statistical Capacity Building Program OnGo 09/08/2004 06/30/2009 01/14/2009 14 750 000,00 99,89 6,44
Statistical Capacity Building Program OnGo 11/27/2008 12/31/2011 12/16/2010 17 850 000,00 88,82 2,20
ECOWAS Peace & Developpement Support Project OnGo 09/29/2004 12/31/2011 12/22/2010 10 000 000,00 42,16 6,38
Energy
Ghana - Togo - Benin Power Interconnect OnGo 04/04/2007 12/31/2012 14 870 000,00 0,00 3,86
Benin - Togo - Ghana Power Interconnect APVD 04/04/2007 12/31/2012 17 390 000,00 0,00 3,86
Assistance à l'OMVG- Réalisation Energie OnGo 04/18/2007 12/31/2010 05/14/2010 523 074,11 100,00 3,82
Financial Sector
Line of Credit to West African Development Bank OnGo 01/30/2008 12/31/2011 05/28/2009 34 167 300,19 100,00 3,03
Payments Systems Development Project in West
African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) OnGo 07/09/2008 12/31/2011 11/15/2010 14 000 000,00 29,79 2,59
xvii
Project Name Status Appr.
Date Pl fin date Latest_Disb. Net loan
Disb.
Ratio Age
Road Transport
WAEMU/Ghana-Road Program 1 OnGo 11/19/2003 12/31/2012 12/22/2010 64 500 000,00 33,94 7,24
WAEMU /Ghana-Road Program 1 OnGo 11/19/2003 12/31/2012 04/14/2009 3 500 000,00 74,46 7,24
Road Project Labé - Sériba – Tambacounda OnGo 12/04/2006 12/31/2011 08/26/2010 20 500 000,00 47,50 4,19
Road Project Labé - Sériba – Tambacounda OnGo 12/04/2006 12/31/2011 07/14/2009 5 580 000,00 2,21 4,19
Road Project Labé - Sériba – Tambacounda OnGo 12/04/2006 12/31/2011 08/12/2010 30 320 000,00 49,12 4,19
Road Project Dori-Téra OnGo 10/27/2006 12/31/2010 11/04/2010 12 710 000,00 42,90 4,30
Road Project Dori-Téra OnGo 10/27/2006 12/31/2010 12/23/2010 12 670 000,00 91,59 4,30
Road Project Dori-Téra OnGo 10/27/2006 12/31/2010 01/09/2009 2 440 000,00 1,28 4,30
Road Construction and Facilitation Program Bamako –
Dakar Corridor
OnGo 12/21/2005 12/31/2011 12/31/2009
14, 846,693.12 74.47 5.15
Road Construction and Facilitation Program Bamako –
Dakar Corridor
OnGo 12/21/2005 12/31/2011 12/31/2009 7, 726,596.63 2.19 5.15
Road Construction and Facilitation Program Bamako –
Dakar Corridor
OnGo 12/21/2005 12/31/2011
12/31/2009 5, 835,937.22 0.0 5.15
Social Sector
Ghana – Creation of Sustainable Tse-Tse Area OnGo 12/08/2004 12/31/2011 08/03/2010 240 000,00 99,87 6,19
Mali – Creation of Areas Sustainably Free from Tse-
Tse Fly OnGo 12/08/2004 12/31/2011 01/14/2009 240 000,00 26,69 6,19
Projet d'Appui à l'Enseignement supérieu UEMOA OnGo 07/24/2006 12/31/2012 12/03/2010 20 000 000,00 13,37 4,56
Burkina-Faso - Creation of Areas Sustainably Free
from Tse-Tse Fly OnGo 12/08/2004 12/31/2011 04/07/2010 240 000,00 92,71 6,19
Telecommunications
Main One Cable System Facility OnGo 05/27/2009 12/31/2015 06/28/2010 35 961 344,82 100,00 1,71
Other 3 Billion APVD 10/06/2010 12/15/2014 16 346 065,83 0,00 0,34
Other 3 Bilion – Senior Loan APVD 10/06/2010 12/31/2013 16 346 065,83 0,00 0,34
RASCOM Telecommunication Satellite OnGo 07/24/2007 12/31/2011 06/07/2010 32 692 131,66 77,40 3,55
New Dawn OnGo 03/11/2009 01/30/2012 06/28/2010 19 615 278,99 52,67 1,92
Main One Cable System Standby Facility APVD 05/27/2009 12/31/2010 0,00 0,00 1,71
xviii
Project Name Status Appr.
Date Pl fin date Latest_Disb. Net loan
Disb.
Ratio Age
Water
Integrated Water Resource Management of the
Kayanga-Geba River OnGo 01/09/2009 06/30/2011 12/04/2009 1 353 879,27 32,18 2,09
Volta Hycos APVD 01/09/2009 06/30/2011 1 025 019,01 0,00 2,09
Support to AUST & 2iE Project OnGo 03/18/2009 12/31/2013 06/17/2010 12 000 000,00 9,08 1,90
Total 521 760 159,71 44,29 4,62
xix
Annex 12: Development Partners’ West Africa Regional Integration Interventions Matrix
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Agriculture
IFPRI Agricultural Policy Preparation of West Africa Agricultural
Productivity program 1,956,000 USD
France
Support for the ECOWAS Agricultural
Policy Support food security and nutrition in West Africa 10,400,000 EUR
Line of Credit to BOAD Agricultural Support 50,500,000 EUR
WB
Agricultural Policy Preparation of West Africa Agricultural
Productivity program 750,000 USD
Africa Emergency Locust Project Emergency locust management 59,500,000 USD
West Africa Agricultural Productivity
Program APL 1
Support to regional centers of excellence in
agricultural research and new agricultural
technologies.
45,000,000 USD
West Africa Regional Biosafety
Establish a regional biosafety framework for the
regulation of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
in WAEMU
3,900,000 USD
West Africa Fisheries Project APL1 Sustainable management of regional fisheries and
increasing local revenues from the fisheries trade 45,000,000 USD
Capacity
Building
UN Humanitarian Affairs To promote institutional capacity building of
ECOWAS 9,000,000 NGN
WB NEPAD Implementation To assist West Africa Countries to improve their
capacity 500,000 USD
Canada ECOWAS Capacity Building (PARECIS
/ Pool fund)
To promote institutional capacity building of
ECOWAS Commission 5,500,000 Can $
France
Support to BIDC Risk Management 500,000 EUR
Various support to WAEMU Capacity building, Human resource development 900,000 + other financing from
General budget support EUR
UK ECOWAS Institutional Capacity Building To promote institutional capacity building of
ECOWAS Commission
Various programs, including the
SWARIP ₤
USA ECOWAS Institutional Capacity Building To promote institutional capacity building of
ECOWAS Commission 475,000 USD
Co -
Financing Capacity Building
Improve Commission's Capacity for the
implementation of NEPAD programs in the sub-
region
3,975,245 USD
EC Monitoring of Regional Indicative
Program (9 ACP ROC 10)
Improve capacities and coordination between
ECOWAS and UEMOA, the member States and
civil society
6,000,000 EUR
xx
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Germany Management Advisory Services Strengthen ECOWAS Institutional Capacity 2,500,000 EUR
France
Support to BIDC Capacity building for Risk Management LAB/FT
and RSE 500,000 EUR
Institutional Support for ECOWAS and
WAEMU Commissions Capacity building, Human resource development Various programs EUR
Culture EC Regional Program on Cultural
Cooperation (West Africa) Financial support through Fund 4,000,000 EUR
Economic
Integration and
Trade
ACBF-
ESCAP
Funding of statistical Capacity Building
Project -212 1,500,000.00 USD
EC
Economic Integration and Trade
9ACP ROC16
Integrate WA gradually into the world economy by
strengthening regional economic integration
among the countries concerned
76,400,000 EUR
Economic Integration and Trade
9ACP ROC15 NSA Component 2,600,000 EUR
Economic Integration and Trade
9ACP ROC15 UNIDO component 14,500,000 EUR
Economic Integration and Trade
9ACP ROC15 OHADA - ERSUMA
component
4,000,000 EUR
EC
Economic Integration and Trade
9ACP ROC15 AGPAO-CSRP
Component
5,000,000 EUR
Support Economic Integration and the
EPA negotiations
9ACP ROC9
Support WA in the EPA negotiations in
accordance with the road map 7,000,000 EUR
Technical Cooperation facility TCF 2
9 ACP ROC 21
To facilitate short terms TA, supporting RO with
training and organizing seminars 4,000,000 EUR
Regional Integration To promote integration of West Africa sub-region 4,594,934 EUR
ACBF-
ESCAP
Policy-Dialogue Strategy to Harmonize
the Financial Sector Markets in
ECOWAS region
Making the ACP countries a better place for doing
business
EC
Preparation of regional Investment
Agreement
Study for the establishment of the African
Diaspora Investment Facility (ADIF)
Forum International des Affaires
Development of Capacity and Framework
at the ECOWAS Commission for
Monitoring Investment Climate
xxi
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Proposal for the establishment of a
private ECOWAS financial improvement
board (PEFIB)
Sweden
Strengthening the ECOWAS negotiating
capacity during 2003-2006
11,800,000.00 SEK
Swiss Regional Integration To promote integration of West Africa sub-region 80,000 USD
UK
EPA Needs Assessment of ECOWAS
Secretariat Trade and Customs
Department
Needs Assessment should assist the Commission
to identify any gaps in their present skills,
competencies or structure necessary to effectively
complete the necessary analysis, co-ordinate and
consult effectively with Member States, and
negotiate a consol.
19,000 EUR
Support to the Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA) Negotiations in
ECOWAS
Strengthen ECOWAS Commission's capacities
with a view to preparing and concluding the
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
Negotiations with the European Union
85,000 EUR
Support to the Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA) Negotiations in
ECOWAS
Strengthen ECOWAS Commission's capacities
with a view to preparing and concluding the
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
Negotiations with the European Union
175,000 GBP
Energy
France WAPP Regional integration of energy sector 5,000,000 EUR
Volta River
Authority Energy Development of the energy sector in West Africa 359,607 USD
WB
West Africa Power Pool Phase 1 APL1
First Phase of Multi-donor
Construction/Rehabilitation of a 330kV
transmission backbone and supporting
infrastructure connecting West Africa Power Pool
coastal states
40,000,000 USD
West Africa Power Pool Phase 1 APL2
Rehabilitation of a 60 MW run-of-the-water Felou
hydroelectric dam supplying power to Senegal,
Mali and Mauritania, and linked with the wider
West Africa Power Pool network
160,000,000 USD
West Africa Power Pool Phase 2 APL1
Second Phase of Multi-donor
Construction/Rehabilitation of a 330KV
transmission backbone connecting West Africa
Power Pool Coastal States from Côte d'Ivoire to
Nigeria
60,000,000 USD
xxii
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Environment
WB
Reversal of Land and Water Degradation
Trends in the Niger River Basin (GEF)
Development and implementation of sustainable
measures for reversing trends in land and water
degradation in the Niger River Basin. (Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d' lvoire,
Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria)
USD
West Africa Regional Biosafety (GEF)
Establishment of a UEMOA Regional Biosafety
Framework to encourage safe development of
living modified organisms and to oversee field
trials and commercialization of transgenic plants,
starting with cotton
USD
France Support to CILSS Sustainable land management and climate change
adaptation in the agriculture and water sectors
2,000,000 and 1,200,000
respectively EUR
Water Resources
Management
WB
Niger Basin Water Resources
Development and Sustainable Ecosystems
Management Project - APL1
Capacity building of the Niger Basin Authority
(NBA), rehabilitation of the 760MW Kainji and
578MW Jebba hydroelectric plants, sustainable
management of degraded environments and
rehabilitation of small-scale water infrastructure
(small hydroelecric dams and irrigation schemes)
USD
Senegal River Basin Multi-Purpose Water
Resources Development Project - APL1
Capacity building of the Senegal River Basin
Association (OMVS), investment in irrigation
infrastructure, improvements in fishing techniques
and fisheries management, water protection,
reduction in water-borne diseases, and pre-
investment activities for five potential
hydroelectric dams.
USD
France Support to OMVG, OMVS, ABN, ABV,
and CCRE (ECOWAS)
Support for integrated water resources
management, capacity building, financing of
feasibility studies, and establishment of
observatories
EUR
Health
EC Regional Health Program - West Africa :
9 ACP ROC 003
Coordinate, harmonize and define common health
policies and facilitate free movement of people,
goods and services
15,000,000 EUR
France Project for the Extension of Health Risk
Coverage in WAEMU Countries
Increase the number of people with health risk
coverage 5,400,000 EUR
Human
Development &
Gender
UNIFEM 1
Organizing the Gender and Regional Integration
Forum & Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on
Gender Policy
10,000 USD
UNIFEM 2 Strengthening of Gender Division of ECOWAS &
ECOWAS Capacity to mainstream Gender Policy 84,000 USD
xxiii
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Immigration Swiss Immigration To organize workshop on elimination of payment
of bribe ECOWAS boarders 20,000 USD
Infrastructures
EC Transport Facilitation Improve regional transport services with a view to
reducing factor costs and facilitating the free
movement of people and goods
63,800,000 EUR
West Africa Road Transport 2,000,000 Euro
WB
Road transport and others
West Africa Transport and Transit
Facilitation Project
Improving road and rail infrastructure and
implementing transit and transport facilitation
measures along the Tema-Ouagadougou-Bamako
corridor
190,000,000 USD
West & Central Africa Air Transport
Safety and Security Program APL1
Strengthening of Civil Aviation Authorities' safety
and security oversight capacities and
improvements in airport security and safety
standards and infrastructure.
33,600,000 USD
West & Central Africa Air Transport
Safety and Security Program Phase II -
APL 2
Strengthening of Civil Aviation Authorities' safety
and security oversight capacities and
improvements in airport security and safety
standards and infrastructure
46,700,000 USD
West & Central Africa Air Transport
Safety and Security Program Phase II b -
APL2b
Strengthening of Civil Aviation Authorities' safety
and security oversight capacities and
improvements in airport security and safety
standards and infrastructure
16,000,000 USD
Japan West Africa Road Transport To streamline and Harmonization Transit
regulation procedures 936,818 USD
Peace Building &
Conflict
Prevention
France ECOMICI Peace keeping 435,545 EUR
246,669 EUR
EC Nigeria - Cameroon Border Demarcation
3,950,000 EUR
Canada
ECOWAS Institutional Capacity Building To strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS to undertake its regional peace and security mandate
4,500,000 Can $
West African Police Project To strengthen regional capacity to train and deploy Civ Pol. to participate in peacekeeping operations
3,120,000 Can $
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping
Training Centre Support for Capacity
Building
To strengthen KAIPTC capacity to deliver its programs, complementing the mandates of the other IPTCs
3,000,000 Can $
Construction of l’École de Maintien de la
Paix (EMP), Mali To construct permanent Bamako-based training facilities for the EMP
1,000,000 Can $
EMP Training To strengthen EMP capacity to deliver its programs, complementing the mandates of the other IPTCs
623,000 Can $
Japan Peace and Security To Encourage the promotion of peace and security 170,000 USD
xxiv
Sector Donor Project Name Project objective Amount Currency
Denmark Peace and Security/ Capacity Building To Encourage the promotion of peace and
security/building the capacity of ECOWAS 54,000,000
Danish
Kroner
Switzerland Small Arms Preparation of convention on small arms control 24,000 USD
Austria Early Warning 145,706,562.00 CFA
EC
Conflict Prevention and Peace-building
Assist ECOWAS to fulfill its mandate in the area
of peace building and conflict prevention,
particularly to develop a Conflict Prevention
strategy for the region (9 ACP ROC 11)
5 500 000 EUR
Conflict Prevention and Peace-building
Assist ECOWAS to fulfill its mandate in the area
of peace building and conflict prevention (9 ACP
ROC 11)
5,500,000 EUR
Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Creating mechanism for conflict prevention and
peace building 2,134,929 EUR
Germany
Equipment Aid Program Enable participants to participate in international
military peacekeeping operations
7,500,000 € (Current tranche;
equipment only) EUR
Military Training Assistance Program Enable participants to participate in international
military peacekeeping operations 10,000,000 EUR
Military Advisor Program (3 German
Military Advisors at KAIPTC)
Prepare ECOWAS offers for participation in
peacekeeping operations
Military Advisor Program (1 German
Military Advisors at EMP)
Prepare ECOWAS offer for participation in
peacekeeping operations
Military Advisor Program (1 German
Military Advisor at ECOWAS HQ)
Enhance ECOWAS' military capabilities for
peacekeeping operations
Support to KAIPTC (1 German Technical
Advisor at KAIPTC)
To qualify civilian personnel from the ECOWAS
region to effectively fulfill the necessary tasks
associated with peace support operations and peace
building measures, including election monitoring
in the region
2,500,000,00 EUR
Private sector France Lines of Credit to BOAD Support to private sector 30,000,000 + various financing from
PROPARCO EUR
WAEMU
Commission France
Support to WAEMU Commission Support to health coverage project in WEAMU
countries 5,400,000 EUR
Annual General budget support to
WAEMU Commission
Support to the implementation of the Regional
Economic Program (REP), and capacity building 20,000,000 per year EUR
xxv
Annex 13: 2011 – 2015 Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa
Outcome of Consultations with Regional Stakeholders
I. Introduction
Consultation with stakeholders within the framework of designing the Regional Integration
Strategy Paper for West Africa took place in two stages. The first stage occurred during a mission
by Bank staff in West Africa from 15 September to 6 October 2010. The second stage took place
within the purview of a dialogue seminar on the Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West
Africa that the Bank organized from 11 to 12 November 2010 in Ouagadougou in collaboration
with ECOWAS and WAEMU Commissions. The outcomes of both consultations are summarized
below.
II. RISP 2011 – 2015 Preparation Mission (September 16 – October6, 2010)
2.1 During this assignment, Bank missions visited Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cape Verde
and, Benin. In these countries, the missions had discussions with national authorities, heads of
regional integration institutions in West Africa based in these countries, civil society organizations
and the private sector. The purpose of these consultations was to determine the regional integration
context, progress as regards regional integration in West Africa, challenges and strategic
opportunities, regional strategic objectives with respect to integration and the Bank Group’s
possible role in promoting regional integration in West Africa, in collaboration with other
development partners. Issues relating to inaccessibility, and other aspects specific to the regional
integration process in West Africa were also discussed.
2.2 It follows from these consultations that the priorities relate mainly to infrastructure, the
coordination of economic policies, reinforcement of synergy between WAEMU and ECOWAS.
III. Dialogue Seminar on the Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa 2011 –
2015 (November 11 – 12, 2010)
3.1 The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), in collaboration with the ECOWAS and
WAEMU Commissions, organized from 11 to 12 November 2010, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,
a dialogue seminar on the draft Regional Integration Strategy Paper in West Africa, covering the
period 2011-2015. About 60 participants attended the seminar.
3.2 This strategy paper, prepared following consultation with regional stakeholders (regional
economic communities in West Africa, national governments, private sector and civil society
organizations and development partners), defines the framework of the Bank’s collaboration with
sub-regional organizations (ECOWAS, UEMOA), to promote economic integration and
development in the sub-region.
3.3 The meeting was attended by several representatives of sub-regional organizations,
governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and technical and financial partners of
West Africa. It was chaired by Mr. Lucien Marie Noel BEMBAMBA, Burkina Faso’s Minister of
the Economy and Finance, Jean de Dieu Somda, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission,
xxvi
Eloge HOUESSOU, representing the WAEMU Commission, and Janvier K. LITSE, West A
Regional Director at the AfDB.
3.4 The main concerns expressed by participants in view of improving the strategy paper, relate
to the details under diagnosis, the strategic choices chosen and projects implementation and the
monitoring and evaluation of the strategy.
Elements of Diagnosis
3.5 Participants noted the relevance of the diagnosis underpinning the policy options proposed
in the paper. They however suggested that some elements of diagnosis contained in the report
should be qualified. Accordingly, on the analysis of Cape Verde’s specific situation, an island
country that deserves special treatment, they suggested noting instead that the recent period has
been marked by this country’s fuller and more active participation in regional integration efforts
within the ECOWAS region and in all Commission initiatives, as well as in strengthening the
country's sense of belonging to ECOWAS. This is evidenced by the establishment by ECOWAS of
the Regional Integration Institute and the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Centre in the country.
Participants also underscored the need to deepen the analysis on some points, especially West
Africa’s strengths in relation to integration. Finally, the specific situation of Fragile States should
also be further reviewed.
Strategic choices and intervention priorities
3.6 Most participants commented on the pillars of the proposed strategy as well as on projects
and programs to be prioritized.
3.7 As regards the first pillar, "connecting regional markets through investment in the
infrastructure sector”, participants stressed the need to develop further actions to be supported
within the framework of cross-border trade facilitation as well as specific actions to be considered
to enhance agro-pastoral trade. They also underscored the need to elucidate the specific actions that
will be supported to enhance the integration of financial markets. In this framework, they noted the
importance of involving the Regional Council for Public Savings and Financial Markets, which
plays an important role in developing the bond market. To enable the financial system to further
play its role in financing the private sector, participants requested Bank support, within the
framework of this strategy, in harmonizing the laws governing financial markets in the ECOWAS
region.
3.8 In terms of the choice of transport infrastructure, participants agreed that, in general, all
transport means are a priority and are complementary for the development of West Africa.
However, as concerns strategic positioning and the catalytic role played by the Bank in relation to
regional integration, participants stressed the need to further focus on the financing of railways in
addition to roads. They also expounded on the dual benefit of developing railways in the sub-region
namely: the elimination of abnormal practices (extortion and overloads on roads) and the
enhancement of regional competitiveness thanks to a reduction in transportation costs. Such a
choice requires a long-term commitment. In this case, the Bank should consider a specific railway
development program.
3.9 To meet energy transition challenges, participants insisted that special attention be paid to
solar energy because the sub-region has considerable potential in this area. Given the capital-
intensive nature of energy, participants highly commended the vision for network integration and
private sector involvement as envisaged under the strategy. However, the weak private sector
capacity to develop and manage PPP projects, taking into consideration certain experiences in the
xxvii
sub - region, constitutes a significant risk to be factored into the design of future projects. Support
by the AfDB’s energy sector should also go beyond electric power to take into account oil and the
regional capacity for production, storage and transportation of petroleum products. Investing in the
diversification of supply sources was also identified as an important challenge for the sub-region
especially by considering the development of nuclear energy.
3.10 Concerning the second pillar relating to "capacity building", participants also noted the
relevance of this pillar, and the actions envisaged in the strategy to implement the latter. They also
suggested support for the establishment of a results-based management system within sub-regional
institutions (ECOWAS, WAEMU), especially the program budget approach to enhance results in
these institutions. Participants also drew the Bank’s attention to the issue of governance which is a
major concern in the region and which should be better taken into account in the strategy, if need
be, as an additional pillar. To encourage States to better implement regional integration policies and
actions, participants requested the Bank’s support in preparing, at the regional level, an annual
report on the status of regional integration in West Africa. This report would be published just
before the meeting of Heads of State.
3.11 As regards cross-cutting issues, participants emphasized the need for further analysis on
aspects related to climate change taking into consideration the sub-region’s extreme vulnerability.
Projects implementation and the monitoring and evaluation of the strategy
3.12 Participants underscored the need to improve the implementation of regional integration
projects. In this regard, they proposed that regional projects design and implementation mechanisms
be reviewed in favour of a single implementing agency under the supervision of regional
organizations to implement all the phases of each regional integration project. They also called for
enhanced cooperation between the various sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS and
WAEMU, to facilitate the implementation of regional projects. On this point, the ECOWAS Vice-
President provided some details on efforts made by the two regional organizations with respect to
implementation of the common external tariff and coordination of their actions.
3.13 To facilitate results monitoring for regional projects, participants emphasized on the need to
include in the report, a results framework defining indicators and their targets.
IV. General Conclusion
4.14 In general, participants underscored the relevance of the diagnosis, priorities and strategic
choices proposed by the Bank in the draft Regional Integration Strategy Paper; and agreed that the
RISP reflects the region’s needs.
4.15 Participants also commended the participatory approach adopted by the Bank in preparing
the document.
4.16 Finally, as a major concern ensuing from the discussions, note should be taken of the need
for prioritizing activities in the strategy paper.
xxviii
Annex 14: Intra-ECOWAS Trade (USD million)
2010 BeninBurkina
FasoCape Verde
Cote
d'Ivoire
Gambia,
TheGhana Guinea
Guinea-
BissauLiberia Mali Niger Nigeria Senegal
Sierra
LeoneTogo
Total
ECOWAS
Benin .. 11.03 1.66 .. .. .. .. .. .. 473.10 20.87 74.82 28.96 .. .. 610.43
Burkina Faso .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50.30 15.61 117.74 26.27 .. .. 209.93
Cape Verde .. 0.00 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.01 0.00 0.10 7.18 .. .. 7.29
Cote d'Ivoire .. 346.90 1.72 .. .. .. .. .. .. 410.89 60.33 1375.55 166.28 .. .. 2361.66
Gambia, The .. .. 0.01 .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.82 .. 1.88 88.77 .. .. 91.48
Ghana .. 91.04 0.96 .. .. .. .. .. .. 75.58 24.29 448.99 27.47 .. .. 668.33
Guinea .. 0.66 0.01 .. .. .. .. .. .. 10.51 0.28 1.45 92.05 .. .. 104.97
Guinea-Bissau .. .. 0.40 .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.01 0.01 0.04 50.05 .. .. 50.51
Liberia .. 0.41 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.07 0.00 5.13 21.74 .. .. 27.34
Mali .. 32.45 0.00 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3.95 1.84 548.78 .. .. 587.03
Niger .. 24.82 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3.95 .. .. 12.52 .. .. 41.29
Nigeria .. 27.67 0.31 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8.91 141.94 .. 493.81 .. .. 672.66
Senegal .. 24.29 5.25 .. .. .. .. .. .. 726.62 9.86 193.63 .. .. .. 959.65
Sierra Leone .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.02 .. 6.49 14.36 .. .. 22.88
Togo .. 106.18 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 107.41 52.31 .. 24.63 .. .. 290.53
Total ECOWAS .. 665.45 10.33 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1870.19 329.46 2227.66 1602.86 .. .. 6705.96
Source: AfDB Statis tics Department us ing UN COMTRADE Database.
Note: .. Data not avai lable.
xxix
Annex 15: 2011 – 2015 Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa
Comments made by CODE at Meeting of July 5, 2011
I. Written Comments
1.1 Regional integration efforts in West Africa are bogged down by the issue of ownership.
Given the persistent problem of limited commitment to reduce non-tariff barriers and reduce inter-
country protocols, the Bank must promote the development and use of commitment technology
instruments to incentivize countries to show greater ownership for regional integration. This will
help ensure compliance with and adherence to agreed integration measures. The argument for these
commitment technologies also extends to civil society groups. Given the limited involvement of
civil society organizations, especially women groups in the regional integration agenda, what steps
is Management taking to encourage their full and effective involvement in regional integration?
Response. The issue of ownership, timely and effective implementation of regional integration
commitments, which is discussed in the RISP, is a complex one, not only in West Africa, but in
most regional integration arrangements around the world. In the case of West Africa, it may well
be that the delays observed in the implementation of regional integration commitments by
member countries boils down to weak capacity, both at the regional and at the country levels.
This is why capacity building for effective implementation of the regional integration agenda is a
key pillar of the RISP. Paragraph 4.5.1 (i) has been updated to reflect this comment.
1.2 In view of the fact that West Africa has the lowest human development indicators in Africa,
and suffers from high unemployment the document must have inclusive growth as a cross-cutting
theme. The RISP should mainstream employment generation in all its interventions. It should also
more clearly aim at strengthening productive capacity, improving the value chain and enhancing the
efficiency and competitiveness of the region. The Bank must at least draw attention to these issues
in its policy dialogue even if it does not have the resources to support RMCs to address them.
Response. Noted. Action taken appears in Paragraph 3.1.7.4, 4.4.1, and 4.4.2.
1.3 While we welcome the promotion of an integrated approach towards energy markets, equal
emphasis will need to be paid on energy production, in view of the fact that all the countries in West
Africa are suffering from energy production deficits.
Response. Noted, and agreed. Emphasis on energy production is discussed in Paragraphs 3.1.6.7
– 3.1.6.8 and Paragraph 4.2.2.5. In addition, the indicative pipeline of regional energy projects
contains a balanced representation of regional energy markets integration projects and regional
energy production projects (Annex 2).
1.4 The document missed the opportunity to mention initiatives which have been undertaken to
help build regional IT backbones, such as the Main-One submarine cable project, which the Bank is
financing and the Globacom submarine cable project.
Response. Noted and agreed. The Main One Cable Project is discussed in Paragraph 3.1.6.5. The
Globacom initiative is mentioned in Paragraph 3.3.6.
1.5 Our view is that in addition to financing technical studies, the Bank should work with the
countries towards funding railway projects. The development of railways in West Africa is an
undertaking which cannot be initiated by the private sector. Governments must play a lead role in
conceptualizing and financing these capital intensive investments. It is recognized that the investment
costs are huge, but the potential benefits are so huge that some creative thinking needs to be done to
meet this challenge. The private sector can come in at a later stage.
Response. We agree. However, the costs involved in railways development are huge and
considering the current low traffic volumes, mobilizing the required resources for these
xxx
investments for West Africa poses considerable challenges. More effort and commitment will,
therefore, be required of all stakeholders to mobilize resources for this key infrastructural sector.
Taking into account both the comment above and the challenges, the strategy proposes a stepped
up dialogue with stakeholders towards a two-pronged outcomes over the 2011 – 2015 period as
follows (i) timely completion of the on-going EU-Financed detailed design studies for the
prioritized links B2 and B1 and, (ii) the Bank playing a catalytic role for resources mobilization
for these links. This strategy is reflected in Paragraph 4.2.2.7.
1.6 The document should have paid more attention to private sector related areas such as
financial integration, particularly the harmonization of investment laws and banking and finance
regulations in West Africa. It is reported that the IMF will do some work with respect to the
development of cross-border supervisory framework for financial institutions in the region. The
Bank should be engaged in this process and should also support a study on how to overcome the
obstacle to integrating the three major stock exchanges in the sub-region. In addition, given the
potential for cross border portfolio investment by West African institutions the document could
have provided more insight on the level of cross border investments in the region.
Response. Noted, and agreed. Financial and monetary integration are discussed in Paragraphs
3.1.4.9; 4.2.3.3. The Bank will be in contact with the IMF about their work on banking
supervision and possible collaboration.
1.7 In view of the fact that the development of an internationally competitive region would
require the steady supply of skilled and knowledgeable labor the knowledge angle of the document
should include a provision for supporting regional research institutions in West Africa. There is the
need for the Bank to continue developing regional centers of excellence in meeting the demand for
professional services such as engineering ICT, etc.
Response. Noted, and agreed. Bank support to regional centers of excellence is provided for in
this Regional Integration Strategy Paper for West Africa. See Paragraph 4.2.3.4.
1.8 A perennial problem of regional integration is that there are short term winners and losers
and therefore there is the need for mechanisms to tax winners to compensate losers to ensure the
sustainability of the process. The failure to agree on a centralized collection of revenues may
undermine the development agenda of regional integration as landlocked countries in the region
may stand to loose from the common external tariff.
Response. Agreed. In recognition of this problem, the ECOWAS and WAEMU have developed quite
strong mechanisms to strengthen solidarity among their member countries. In the WAEMU for
example, there is a Community Solidarity Levy, which has been instituted to finance development
projects in less developed member countries or regions within the Union. A similar levy also exists at
the ECOWAS. WAEMU structural funds, which are supported by donors, are also used to further
compensate less developed member countries. Paragraph 3.3.4 has been updated to reflect this
comment.
1.9 We are keen to read the study to be commissioned on ports in West Africa. In view of the
proximity to West Africa of the ports in Cameroun, Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon, it may be
useful for the study to take them into consideration.
Response. Noted. The study is being finalized and will be shared with you.
1.10 While progress in trade liberalization has been made with the elimination of tariff barriers
within the community, nontariff barriers have continued to impede the economic integration of the
region. What are ECOWAS strategies and timeline for removing these barriers? Are there
quantitative estimates of the economic losses caused by the non-trade barriers so as to demonstrate
to the regional member countries the economic consequences of the barriers.
xxxi
Response. Removing non-tariffs barriers to free movement of goods, services and people is a key
objective of regional authorities in West Africa. West Africa is implementing many initiatives
towards this end, including the creation of joint border posts to facilitate border controls, the
establishment of an observatory of bad practices to monitor, report and shame practices, which
are contrary to the spirit if integration within the region. Our early experience would tend to
indicate that these initiatives are promising and should be supported. The Bank is developing a
trade facilitation framework and analytical work on non-tariffs barriers in collaboration with the
World Bank and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. This framework
will be useful in the design of trade facilitation measures in infrastructure projects. These
initiatives are discussed in Paragraphs 3.1.5.2, 3.4.1 and 4.5.1 (i).
1.11 Most of the economies in the region are largely primary commodity-based economies with
low value addition and high vulnerability to external shocks. The need for the region to diversify
and use the growing natural resource exports to encourage manufacturing development should form
part of high level discussions with relevant regional institutions.
Response. Agreed. Comment is taken into account in Paragraph 4.4.1 and 4.4.2.
1.12 Despite the rush, or perhaps because of it, the paper does not seem to have had a read for
errors – otherwise it is hard to understand how in footnote 2 you find 16 (9+5+2) countries, in the
region instead of 15, and the population of Africa is already 1.5 billion, if West Africa is only 20%
of its population. Is that underestimate why you left this region to last (apart from North Africa)?
More substantively, the paper seems to have been finished in early April, since it does not recognize
that the political impasse in Côte d’Ivoire has been resolved (para 4.5.1). The change of situation in
Abidjan would have justified a delay, but then one might have expected the paper to provide some
comments on the implications – including presumably for renewed energy within WAEMU.
Response. Noted. Action taken on data appears in footnote 1 on Page 1 of the text. Paragraph
4.5.1 (iii) has also been updated to better reflect progress in Côte-d’Ivoire.
1.13 The paper probably includes everything that might affect regional integration – except for
the change in Côte d’Ivoire (!) – but it does not really suggest how the Bank should focus its efforts,
which would be appropriate given that it has only 4 ½ years to do the things being discussed. There
are a number of areas where it would have been appropriate to make some judgements about the
realism of forecast changes. For example, will the WAMZ monetary union really be in place in
2015 when the customs union is not even there yet? (How do preparations to date compare with the
process that led to the €?).
Response. Comment well noted. Taking this comment into account, the set of strategic activities
proposed in the revised report are more focused on (i) road corridors (transport infrastructure
and trade facilitation), and regional energy production and markets integration under Pillar I,
and (ii) capacity building under Pillar II. On the realism of the 2015 target for establishing the
WAMZ monetary union, the Road Map faces some implementation challenges relating to
coordination, inadequate capacity of some of the institutions responsible for carrying out some of
its activities. Despite these challenges, regional stakeholders have reaffirmed their commitment to
the Road Map. Paragraph 3.1.4.10 has been updated to reflect this updated assessment of the
implementation of the Roadmap
1.14 In terms of the issues raised by the consultations with stakeholders (Annex 13) the
importance of railways is noted, but in the text there is a reference to the idea of adapting gauges to
a common standard. Although the paper already rejects the “Cadillac” option, it still suggests partial
adaptation with the creation of “third rails”. Is this remotely realistic – particularly over the RISP
period – given the financing that is likely to be available? With Côte d’Ivoire now more integrated
into planning, is there not a case for building on what already exists? – all the WAEMU countries
xxxii
appear to have a common gauge. At the same time, the text would encourage competition among
ports – does this not risk overinvestment? at least in the short to medium term, given the likely
traffic and the number of potential ports in different countries. Should ECOWAS not be trying to
make some hard decisions on what is realistic – particularly if Côte d’Ivoire is permanently and
fully reintegrated into the region.
Response. On railways, the response is the same as the response to comment 1.5 above. Agree on
the need for rationalization of ports investments in West Africa to avoid over-expansion of
capacities (this is mentioned in Paragraph 3.1.6.4.3). In fact, the increased role played by the
private sector in these investments certainly reduces the risks of sustainable overinvestment.
Paragraph 3.1.6.4.3 has been updated to take this comment into account.
1.15 The Doing Business indicators in WAEMU, OHADA notwithstanding, would suggest that
one concerted aspect of the Bank’s role in the region should be to seek to strengthen the business
climate through a regional approach to governments, to convince them that reform is in their
interests, individually AND collectively.
Response. Agree. This is why one of the Bank studies, which have informed this RISP focused on
the business environment in West Africa. This issue will also rank high on the Bank’s dialogue
with regional stakeholders, and this will be adequately reflected in the areas of dialogue of the
revised RISP. Paragraphs 4.4.1 and 4.4.2 have been updated accordingly.
1.16 There is very little discussion of collaboration on water resources other than in terms of
navigation of the Senegal, and of the OVMG project –More generally, and with the threats to the
Sahel from climate change, more active regional collaboration on water resource management
would seem like an area to which the Bank should pay greater attention.
Response. Paragraphs 3.1.9 and 3.4.2 offer a good discussion of the water resources
management efforts in West Africa.
1.17 It would be helpful to have some indication of how things are currently in terms of RI
activity by the Bank and other donors. What is the current status of WAPP and WAGP? Which road
and railway connections exist and which are in need of rehabilitation and which are in need of
actual construction. For a paper on RI the map provided is so difficult to read it practically useless.
Something more useful should be provided for a paper as important as this one.
Response. The West African Power Pool (WAPP), created in 1999 by the ECOWAS Heads of
State and Governement has positioned itself as a key player in regional efforts to integrate the
national power system operations into a unified regional electricity market - with the expectation
that such mechanism would, over the medium to long-term, assure the citizens of ECOWAS
Member States a stable and reliable electricity supply at affordable costs. It is currently a key
interlocutor of development partners in the electricity sector in West Africa.
The West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAPCo) is a joint venture between public and private sector
companies from Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. The company's main mandate is to transport
natural gas from Nigeria to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana in a safe, responsible and
reliable manner, at prices competitive with other fuel alternatives. WAPCo is owned by Chevron
West African Gas Pipeline Ltd (36.7%); Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (25%); Shell
Overseas Holdings Limited (18%); and Takoradi Power Company Limited (16.3%), Société
Togolaise de Gaz (2%) and Société BenGaz S.A. (2%). In May 2011, the company announced
that it was ready to deliver compressed gas to its customers in Togo and Benin. This update is
provided in Paragraph 4.2.2.6. The figure in Annex 7 has been changed, and now shows the state
of road corridors.
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1.18 Hope the ultimate RISP will be clearer on what it actually expects to achieve over 4 years.
Response. The revised report is more focused, and includes a clear results framework with
‘SMART’ indicators to monitor progress in the implementation of the strategy and achievement
of its objectives (See Annex 1). A mid-term assessment of the implementation performance of the
RISP will be carried out in 2013.
1.19 The studies proposed all reasonably fit into these pillars and have a good strategic fit, but we
wonder if they will lead to increased investment and regional integration. They are important pre-
cursors, but absent a better investment climate and better governance structures, we fear these
studies will collect dust. Paras 3.1.6.3. and 4.2.7.1 discusses the Bank-funded studies of a large
number of rail projects that would connect several cities across West Africa and seek to address the
multiplicity of railroad gauges. However it is noted that changing all the lines to standard gauge
“would be very costly and yield low economic rates of return.” Given this, what is the plan and
why are these issues still being studied?
Response. See response to comment no. 1.5 above.
1.20 Also related to infrastructure, we note and welcome the reference to harnessing the
transboundary water, including river navigation. We welcome the recognition of the relevance of
the trade facilitation. While this area is still not one of the Bank’s fortes, without it, the envisioned
hard infrastructure will have negligible value. Again, there must be political buy-in, accompanied
by concrete efforts to address the existing inefficiencies in the existing transit regimes, tax
collection mechanisms and integrated border management.
Response. Agreed. This is why one of the areas of the RISP is to support trade facilitation efforts
(see Paragraph 4.2.2.3).
1.21 Leveraging private sector investment will be one of the hardest elements of the strategy. We
wish the Bank well as it seeks to impact this area. We look forward to learning more about how the
Bank intends to use Special Purpose Companies in the region to develop cross border private sector
involvement. The governance structure of and SPC will be important to determining how interested
the private companies are. The strategy of using the regional development banks seems a rather
tired approach that could benefit from some new ideas.
Response. Early experience with the SPC model suggests that it is proving attractive to the
private sector (Box 1 Page 14 updated to reflect this assessment). Agree on the SPC governance
structure. Bank support to the SPC model will certainly help improve the governance of this
model. As discussed in Paragraph 4.2.3.3, regional development banks will be only one element
in the menu of instruments the RISP proposes to be used to promote cross-border investments.
1.22 Para 9 in the introduction references using budget support operations to mitigate the risk of
political fragility. This seems a rather inopportune wording, as we do not believe that politically
fragile environments are necessarily the correct ones for budget support. We hope that the
reference is trying to indicate that budget support can (when utilized properly) be one means of
helping to build institutions which can then combat the fragility.
Response. Right. That is what we meant. That sentence no longer appears in the Executive
Summary.
1.23 Despite differences amongst member countries, ECOWAS seems a reasonably coherent
REC on important issues (e.g. movement of people, conflict resolution) and the RISP should aim to
support its 2011-15 Plan, though with a clear focus on supporting initiatives which have strong
member political backing and are feasible institutionally.
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Response. Noted and agreed. The pillars of the RISP and the associated activities received strong
backing from regional stakeholders during the consultations process. See outcome of
consultations with regional stakeholders in Annex 13.
1.24 With regard to the first pillar on infrastructure, there is not much detail on private sector
development, apart from its mentioning in a footnote on page 5. Further analysis seems warranted
because poor performance seems not much attributable to lack of entrepreneurship. On the contrary,
for particularly female entrepreneurship seems to thrive in this part of the continent, as is also
mentioned on page 10. Rather the problem seems to constitute in converting in-formal businesses
into the formal domain (lack of incentives, cumbersome regulations etc).
Response. Noted, and agreed. Paragraph 4.2.2.8 presents the expected role of the private sector
in the implementation of Pillar 1. Paragraph 3.1.6.1 has also been included to present the
composition of the West African private sector.
1.25 Still on the first pillar of infrastructure development, we believe that the importance of PPPs
could be further stressed as the OPSM portfolio in West Africa seems to have great regional
potential (e.g. PPPs in Senegal and financial sector programmes in Nigeria).
Response. Bank’s efforts to leverage the participation of the private sector in infrastructure
development are discussed in Paragraph 4.2.2.8.
1.26 We also believe that the RISP could take a broader stance on funding: possible resources for
implementing the RISP may also come from the private sector window rather than just ADF 12
&13 (page 14).
Response. Noted, and agreed. Paragraph 4.2.1 has been updated to take this comment into
account.
1.27 With regard to the second pillar of capacity building, we were not particularly enthralled by
the objectives specified. They are very broad, indicative and formulated in open terms. What and
how exactly the Bank will add over and above contributions delivered by for example the African
Capacity Building Foundation?
Response. Noted. The Bank will work in collaboration with other partners in supporting capacity
building, coordinating interventions where necessary to achieve maximum impact. This has been
indicated in Paragraph 4.2.3.1.
1.28 In conjunction, there is a large community college project mentioned in annex 2, which does
not fit well with the other activities. While it may come under HEST, it is not justified properly in
the text of the RISP and could be removed to strengthen the focus of the RISP.
Response. This was an oversight. It has been removed from the indicative programme
1.29 There is the usual lack of detail on implementation aspects. While it seems unlikely that
West Africa will be a candidate for a service centre, we need more coverage of staffing implications
and who leads on what.
Response. The institutional arrangements, and the envisaged Bank internal mechanisms for
monitoring and evaluating implementation of the RISP, are presented in Paragraphs 5.1, 5.3.1
and 5.3.2 respectively. In Paragraph 5.3.2 for example, it is indicated that in anticipation of the
monitoring requirements of the RISP, Management has posted a staff at NGFO.
1.30 Just to remind our comments on other RISPs which we feel are also pertinent to this version
for West Africa:
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o A clearer link to Country Strategy Papers…
o A blurring distinction between – or rather equation of – regional integration and regional
operations.
o Overall goals and objectives could be made ‘SMART-er’ so that after five years we can
better evaluate as to whether the Bank has been successful in boosting regional
integration.
Response. The link between the RISP and the Country Strategy Papers is clearly indicated in
Paragraph 5.1. The strategic outputs and outcomes targeted in the RISP have been made
‘SMARTer’ in the revised results matrix, which appears in Annex 1.
1.31 ECOWAS has significantly contributed to peace and stability in the region supporting
conflict resolution and reconciliation in countries like Togo, Niger and Guinee Conacry. However,
as to regional economic integration the results are very modest, partially due to serious conflicts in
countries which are traditionally major driver of economic development in the region (Cote
d’Ivoire). As in other RECs we observe a rather limited political will to drive forward the economic
integration on regional level. The challenge going forward is twofold, namely to consolidate
national reconciliation, promote institution building and economic growth in fragile states and take
the economic integration agenda forward.
Response. Agreed. The strategy proposed in this RISP will contribute towards these objectives.
1.32 ECOWAS seems to be overloaded by a great number of donor financed projects in all
different areas of activity. There is a high risk of mission creep and strategic drift as donors push to
support projects and programmes seemingly more important than the defined strategy priorities of
the organization. The Bank should participate actively in the dialogue with ECOWAS and a other
donors to promote a stronger focus of support and alignment with strategic priorities of the
organization.
Response. Noted, and agreed. The RISP has also identified the need to avoid the mission creep as
a critical challenge facing ECOWAS (see Paragraph 3.3.3). Towards addressing this problem,
the strategy proposed in the RISP focuses on areas critical to advancing regional integration in
the region. In addition, addressing the mission creep has been included among the issues for
dialogue at the regional level (See Paragraph 4.4.2).
1.33 The Bank’s present portfolio of multinational projects in West Africa seems far too broad
and dispersed with too many projects and working literally in all different sectors. What action will
the Bank take to enhance focus of the ongoing multinational projects in the region? Is the Bank
planning to withdraw from some of the sectors?
Response. This is the first RISP for the region, and by being selective and focused, it will, going
forward, contribute towards a more focused and selective area of intervention in respect of
multinational operations. In addition, many of the on-going multinational projects are expected
to close in 2011 or 2012. This will further contribute towards a more focused portfolio in the
years ahead.
1.34 Looking at the Bank’s indicative programme for regional operations 2011-15, regional road
transport is the most important activity. Apart from the hardware on road building what support is
the Bank planning on the software side promoting a better regulatory framework, adequate
maintenance and safety activities for regional roads? Has the Bank considered to adopt a more
labour intensive and inclusive approach to road building, including employing local constructive
companies and promote rural connectivity?
Response. The Bank’s support in the important regulatory areas mentioned in this comment is
provided in the context of its support to countries’ and regional authorities’ efforts towards
developing and implementing transport sector policies. Mainstreaming labour and inclusive
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approaches is one of the key objectives of the RISP (see Paragraphs 4.1(vii); 4.2.4; 4.4.1; and
4.4.2).
1.35 Energy projects are a second important activity in the Bank’s planned portfolio on regional
level in West Africa. What activities does the Bank’s plan to reinforce the governance structure
related to well-functioning regional energy cooperation and programmes? And how is energy
efficiency technology planned to be promoted?
Response. In order to reinforce the governance of the regional energy cooperation in West
Africa, the Bank’s plans center around strengthening the capacity of the West African Power
Pool (WAPP), an organization established by the Heads of State and Government of the
Economic Community of West African States to integrate national power systems into a unified
regional electricity market. At the national level, Bank efforts towards improving governance in
the energy sector focus on strengthening the governance of national electricity companies in
areas such as human resource capacity, tariffs and financial management, management of
power systems losses, taxation on energy materials, energy efficiency and conservation, as well as
national efforts to implement their regional commitments in the energy sector. With regards to
energy efficiency, Bank projects will involve the implementation of energy saving measures. The
Bank will also collaborate with the recently established ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy
and Energy efficiency (See Paragraph 4.2.2.5).
1.36 Recognizing the important challenges in having various types of gauges, it seems there are
still ample room for promoting railway transport at cheaper prices than road transport. Apart from
supporting various studies, the Bank does not plan to involve directly in investment projects on
railway transport. During the regional consultation on the bank’s regional programme, railway was
considered to be a high priority, in particular for the landlocked Sahel countries of the region (annex
13). Why does the Bank not engage directly in railway investment projects?
Response. See response to comment No. 1.5.
1.37 Trade facilitation: The section on trade discusses in general terms the extent of intraregional
trade. However, as trade facilitation and investment facilitation are among the Bank’s priority
actions in support of regional integration an annex on the intraregional trade with inter country trade
volumes and product mixes as well as trade in services would have been helpful. As the Bank has
already been involved in statistical capacity building support in the region, this could have been
used as basis for the background statistics.
Response. Noted, and agree. The level of intra-regional trade is provided in Paragraph 3.1.5.1.
Annex 14, which presents the intra-ECOWAS bilateral trade, has also been added to the report.
1.38 Specific question: The indicative programme includes “ECOWAS Community Colleges”
with a budget of 150 million US. Please explain what kind of colleges we are talking about?
Response. This has been removed from the indicative programme.
1.39 Policy dialogue should emphasize reduction of mission creep.
Response. Agreed. Paragraph 4.4.2 has been updated to reflect this comment.
2. Oral Comments during CODE Meeting of July 5, 2011
2.1 Can the proposed programme be implemented over 2011 – 2015?
Response. The revised report is more selective and focused on (i) transport infrastructure to link
regional markets, (ii) energy to develop regional production and integrate regional energy
markets, and (iii) capacity building. A clear results framework with ‘SMART’ indicators to
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monitor progress in the implementation of the strategy and achievement of its objectives is also
included (See Annex 1). The proposed strategy can be implemented over the envisaged period.
2.2 Strategy should focus on integration, not only on infrastructure. There is also political will to
remove the impediments to integration, including the road blocks.
Response. Agreed. In addition to infrastructure, the proposed strategy also focuses on transport
and trade facilitation measures, capacity building.
2.3 The strategy should focus on fragile states. Does this strategy adequately take into account
the needs of fragile states?
Response. The proposed strategy endeavors to adequately take into account the needs of fragile
states. The way in which the proposed strategy will positively impact fragile sates is presented in
Paragraph 4.2.6.
2.4 There is need to disseminate the strategy among governors.
Response. Agreed. The envisaged dissemination actions are presented in Paragraph 4.4.3
2.5 Correct typographical errors i.e number of ECOWAS member countries, official language of
countries.
Response. Noted, and agreed. Actions have been taken in footnote 1 on Page 1 of the text.
2.6 What support is the Bank providing to ECOWAS to harmonize convergence criteria?
Response. The Bank has provided assistance to the ECOWAS in the form of a consultant, who
has prepared a report on the harmonization of convergence criteria of the WAEMU, WAMZ, and
ECOWAS.
2.7 How will decentralization affect implementation of the strategy?
Response. By strengthening the Bank’s presence and visibility in the region, the decentralization
will significantly strengthen the Bank’s capabilities to monitor and evaluate implementation of
the strategy, in collaboration with all stakeholders on the ground. See the role of field offices in
Paragraph 5.3.1 and 5.3.2.
2.8 The strategy should also support integration through production, not only through markets.
Response. The strategy proposed in this RISP supports integration through production in two
important ways. First, it proposes Bank support to regional efforts to jointly increase energy
production in the region. Secondly, by linking regional markets, the strategy will strengthen
demand for regional goods and services and this will support regional efforts to boost production
in the various productive sectors.
2.9 Review language on recent political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire.
Response. Paragraph 4.5.1 has been updated.